Judiciary has no control over media freedom – Chief Justice
The judiciary, according to Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, has no authority to limit media freedom.
He stated that “without the media, the task of securing and sustaining democracy would be one hundred times more difficult, and that the media’s role was crucial for any democracy’s survival, emphasizing that the two must collaborate”.
“The country’s democracy requires the press and the Judiciary to work together and we must focus on efforts to build trust between us, so we can build confidence in our institutions from the public,” Justice Anin Yeboah.
According to him, Ghana must and should continue to be a stronghold of free expression, but that “we must promptly address the concerns of norms and propriety in regard to court reporting, lest we expose ourselves to misinformation that would mislead the population.”
Chief Justice Anin Yeboah was addressing participants and the press at the unveiling of a Handbook for Journalists on reporting on the Judiciary and the inauguration of the Judicial Press Corps, on Monday, November 15. The 37-page book covers court reporting terms, Latin phrases, contempt charges, and other associated offences.
He mentioned that the Judiciary’s function within the Constitutional framework necessitated that information about it [the Judiciary] be accurate and handled with extreme caution so as not to mislead the people.
When false information regarding ongoing cases is shared, the Chief Justice says it undermines trust and “eats away the very foundations of the Republic”
“Matters connected to pending matrimonial difficulties should not be a subject of publishing,” he said, urging members of the Press Corps to be professional and circumspect while dealing with sensitive cases.
The role of journalists in justice delivery is critical, according to Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, especially when justice is provided to all kinds of people “according to law without barrier.”
Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei explained that every profession has its own language and that journalists in charge of informing the public about court events must be familiar with the court’s language and communicate in a way that the public understands without distorting the content.
Meanwhile, The Ghana Journalists Association’s President, Mr. Affail Monney praised the Judicial Service for providing court reporter training. He tasked the Press Corps to put the handbook to good use.
Source: Richard Mensah Adonu | Join our Telegram Group
