Govt, Judicial Council, judges condemn two radio panellists
The government, the Judicial Council and the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) have condemned utterances by two political commentators who threatened judges of the superior courts with death.
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In a separate statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Bani, and issued in Accra yesterday, the government said it frowned on what it described as “irresponsible and offensive comments” by political commentators and any section of the media.
It said although the government respected freedom of expression, it would not condone any action that would threaten the peace of the country.
“The government expects the security agencies to take firm action against persons whose utterances and actions undermine the peace, security and stability of the state,’’ it said.
In that regard, the statement said “the government notes the swift action taken by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to ensure the safety and security of members of the Judiciary”.
It further assured the Judiciary and the public that the government “is taking steps to enhance the personal security of judges to enable them to discharge their functions without fear or favour’’.
It said the government had also noted the upsurge in inflammatory rhetoric against key managers of the electoral process calculated to compromise their independence and security and was taking further steps to improve their personal security.
“Indeed, the government wishes to assure the public that it will not shirk its responsibility to protect the peace and security of the country,” it said.
It also reminded owners and employees of mass media outlets that “they were subject to laws pertaining to national security, public order, the protection of reputations and the rights and freedoms of others”.
Background
Alistair Tairo Nelson, 41, and Godwin Ako Gunn, 39, issued threats of harm or death on Supreme Court and High Court judges on an Accra-based radio station, Muntie 100.1 FM, on June 29, 2016.
Judicial Council
For its part, the Judicial Council described the statements by Nelson and Gunn as “grave and disturbing’’.
In a press release issued after an emergency meeting yesterday, the council said the statements by the two radio panellists were “unwarranted attack and an explicit threat on the lives of judges’’.
It added that the statements were a serious attack on the Judiciary and had the tendency to undermine the independence of the Judiciary and the rule of law.
“An independent Judiciary is the backbone of the rule of law. A Judiciary that is protected against all forms of intimidation and interference is key to securing judicial independence,’’ it said.
The meeting, the council said, was attended by the Attorney-General, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, and the Minister of the Interior.
According to the council, the two ministers condemned the utterances by the two panellists and dissociated the government and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) from those utterances.
Judges and magistrates
Meanwhile, the AMJG, at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said the utterances by the two panellists had the tendency to “put fear in judges and magistrates’’ in the discharge of their duties.
The President of the AMJG, Mr Justice Dominic Dennis Adjei, said the statements were in bad faith and could undermine the administration of justice in the country.
“The Judiciary, as an arm of government, is crucial in this our democratic dispensation. It must, therefore, be strengthened and jealously guarded by all and sundry,’’ he said.
He, however, advised all judges and magistrates to continue to carry out their lawful duties, as “the association is working in conjunction with the Judicial Council and the government to ensure the safety of all members”.
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