press credential

“The silences of the law have, or can have, social consequences,” writes Efrén Rivera Ramos, a professor, lawyer, and journalist. That is why, when courts remain silent in the face of attacks on fundamental rights, the effect can be to allow injustices that undermine their institutional legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

In a majority decision that none of the justices who joined it explained, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court ruled that journalists may be required to present an official Department of State credential to attend press conferences at La Fortaleza, the governor’s official residence and seat of the executive branch.

The appellate ruling conflicts with the position of press organizations and an earlier lower-court decision.

The decision clears the way for CPI reporters to attend briefings at the Executive Mansion and question top officials without presenting a Puerto Rico Department of State certification.