Profanity or Free Speech? Attorney Renews Call to Repeal Outdated Law Criminalising Indecent Language

Fresh debates have ignited across Jamaica’s entertainment landscape after reggae singer Lila Ike was recently charged under the 1843 Towns and Communities Act — an archaic colonial law that criminalises the use of “profane, indecent, or obscene language” in public. The incident has reignited national discussion on freedom of expression and the lingering impact of outdated legislation on creative voices in modern Jamaica.

King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie has led the latest call for the repeal of the law, arguing that Section 9(C) of the Act — which carries penalties of up to $1,500 JMD or 30 days’ imprisonment — is “a disgrace” in a contemporary society. “In my view, they should repeal that law,” Champagnie stated during an appearance on TVJ’s Smile Jamaica. “Legislators on both sides have used indecent language without consequence, yet entertainers are charged for the same thing. It’s hypocritical.”

The case involving Lila Ike (Alicia Gray) and Chanel Moore, who were charged with indecent language, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest following a July traffic stop along Mandela Highway, has become symbolic of a wider struggle. For many artists, the use of expressive — even explicit — language is not just art, but authenticity. Within dancehall and reggae culture, such expressions have long served as tools for storytelling, protest, and social commentary.

Champagnie went further, highlighting that the same outdated Act also makes it an offence to “dust a mat in public” or “dance and jump up and down,” questioning whether such restrictions could even criminalise traditional performances like Jonkonnu. His comments underscore a broader concern: that remnants of colonial rule still police Jamaican creativity and culture nearly two centuries later.

As public conversations intensify, especially within entertainment circles, many are urging lawmakers and the Legal Reform Department to review these antiquated laws that disproportionately affect working-class Jamaicans and creatives. Whether the government will move to modernize these statutes remains to be seen — but for now, the debate over what counts as profanity versus performance continues to strike a powerful chord in Jamaica’s cultural heart.

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