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Amici curiae or “friends of the court” are usually invited by a court to give their insights on cases. In this instance, the CPJ, ICFJ, and RSF were not invited as experts, but rather provided their opinion to the SC on their own initiative. It’s up to the High Court whether or not to accept the groups’ amicus curiae brief.
“The prospect of facing criminal liability for allegedly misreporting facts – or worse yet, being punished for accurate reporting – will have a profound chilling effect, discouraging journalists from wading into the sensitive topics that often are the subjects of greatest public concern,” they said. The groups said Natalie Reid, co-chair of the Public International Law Group at Debevoise, was the principal author of the brief, in collaboration with Kristina Conti of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in the Philippines.