Child Act 2001 · Updated to 1 Jul 2023 · Part IV · Courts for Children
15. Restrictions on media reporting and publication
Feedback & supportNotwithstanding any written law to the contrary, any mass media report regarding—
any step taken against a child concerned or purportedly concerned in any criminal act or omission, be it during the investigation or at the pre-trial, trial or post-trial stage;
any child in respect of whom custody is taken under Parts
V, VI and VIII;
any child who is detained under Part VII;
any child in respect of whom any offence under any written law has been or is suspected to have been committed;
or
any proceedings under Part VI, shall not reveal the name, address or educational institution, or include any particulars calculated to lead to the identification of any child so concerned either as being the person against or in respect of whom action is taken or as being a witness to the action.
A picture of—
any child concerned in any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1); or
any other person, place or thing which may lead to the identification of any child so concerned, shall not be published in any newspaper or magazine or transmitted through any electronic medium.
The Court For Children or, in urgent cases, a Magistrate—
Court For Children
“Court For Children” means the Court For Children constituted under section 11;
may, if the Court For Children or Magistrate is satisfied that it is in the interest of justice to do so; and
shall, in the case of an application by or with the authority of a Protector,
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dispense with the requirements of this section to such an extent as the Court or Magistrate may deem expedient.
Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.
For the purposes of this section, “transmit” includes broadcast by radio or television.