Justice M.M Yamoa of the High Court of The Gambia has ruled that journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh could be tried at the Kanifing Magistrates' Court.

In his ruling today, Yamoa said the case against Ms. Manneh could be tried in any competent law court in the country since the case was based on activities done on the internet. The question of 'jurisdiction' was therefore baseless, the judge pointed out. She therefore ordered Kanifing Magistrates' Court, which first heard the case to resume trial.

Fatou Jaw Manneh, a US based Gambian journalist was arrested on March 28, 2007 immediately after she stepped out of the craft at the Banjul International Airport and whisked away by state security agents into detention.  Ms. Manneh was in Gambia to pay respects to her father who had just died when she was arrested and detained for a week.

Ms. Manneh appeared in a Kanifing Magistrates' court in April on sedition charges. But the case was later referred to Brikama, Western Region on grounds that Kanifing lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Brikama Magistrates' court in turn referred the case to the High Court claiming it has no jurisdiction to try the female journalist.

Now, the trial is back to 'square one' at Kanifing, where it all began seven months ago.