1. Overview of Freedom of Assembly (2020 Constitution – Section 50)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 In the 2020 Draft Constitution, the right to assembly was outlined under Section 50. This section affirmed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Peaceful Assembly Rights: Every individual has the right to assemble peaceably, unarmed, to demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities or private institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Changes in Freedom of Assembly (2024 Constitution – Section 42)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 The 2024 Draft Constitution revises this right in Section 42, emphasizing freedom with specified limitations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Retained Rights: The right to assemble and demonstrate peaceably and unarmed remains the core of this section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 New Restrictions (Section 42, Subsection 2): The right to assembly is now explicitly subject to Gambian law, allowing for “reasonable restrictions” under specific conditions. These restrictions are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Democratic Necessity**: Assemblies must comply with laws necessary for democratic function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Protection of Sovereignty and Integrity: To maintain the sovereignty and integrity of The Gambia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 National Security and Public Order: Ensuring public safety and avoiding disruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Decency or Morality: Preserving social standards of decency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Contempt of Court: Preventing assemblies that may interfere with judicial proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Key Differences Between 2020 and 2024 Constitutions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scope of Rights: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 2020 Constitution: Broadly guarantees peaceful assembly, demonstrations, picketing, and petitioning without specified restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 2024 Constitution: Preserves core assembly rights but introduces conditions under which restrictions may be imposed, specifically for societal integrity, security, and public order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Added Legal Framework:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 The 2024 draft embeds a legal framework for restricting assembly rights under particular circumstances, introducing a balanced approach that allows freedom while safeguarding public and national interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Implications of the Changes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 The 2024 additions reflect a shift toward regulated freedoms, seeking to balance individuals’ rights with collective security, order, and moral considerations. The amendments aim to reinforce the state\u2019s capacity to maintain a stable democratic society while still allowing fundamental assembly rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
1. Overview of Freedom of Assembly (2020 Constitution – Section 50) \u2022 In the 2020 Draft Constitution, the right to assembly was outlined under Section 50. This section affirmed: \u2022 Peaceful Assembly Rights: Every individual has the right to assemble peaceably, unarmed, to demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities or private institutions. 2. Changes in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fact-sheet"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4747"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4752,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4747\/revisions\/4752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infochecked.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}