Under international and regional human rights laws, derogation of certain rights is permissible during an emergency. ConclusionThe Constitution of Liberia expressly provides the right to freedom of expression without limitation during a state emergency. As it is always the case, emergency powers risk being abused sometimes for political purposes such as stifling freedom of expression. Overall, the Government of Liberia must tread cautiously in dealing with COVID-19, because Liberia is State Party to many international human rights instruments that require accountability. Urias Teh Pour holds a Master in Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria.

Source: Front Page Africa May 26, 2020 00:22 UTC