We need to codify contempt of court-Professor Karikari
Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa, (MFWA), on Tuesday called for proper legislation of contempt of court in Ghana's 1992 Constitution to enable people express their views freely about the court system.
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“We need to codify contempt of court so that journalists can talk to enlighten people’s mind about issues concerning court proceedings,” he said.
Prof Karikari was speaking at a media roundtable organised by the Editors’ Forum, Ghana in collaboration with the MFWA and the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy to educate journalists on how to report on cases before the law courts.
It was on the theme: “Press Freedom versus professional responsibility: Avoiding the traps of contempt in court reporting.”
Prof Karikari noted that the law of contempt is very self-serving law that gives the judges some sort of arbitrariness because it was not written in the Constitution yet, that same Constitution gave the power to the court to punish people who are found guilty of contempt.
“We need to do something about the law on contempt for it to be properly codified so that there will be no ambiguity.
“We must enlighten the public on the judgement professionally for the peoples’ mind to be clearer otherwise the public will be confused. That’s why we need to promote a proper legislation on contempt,” he added.
Prof Karikari said one area of concern for the media is where everybody is divided along ideological directions thereby making it difficult for journalists to stay out of politics.
He said the state owned media would not show openly that partisanship but the problem lies with the private media.
Prof Karikari suggested that the private media, especially the FM stations, which offer the platform for the speaking of local dialects, should engage lawyers in their newsrooms to assist in interpreting the judges’ verdict on August 29 and after.
“The Supreme Court verdict is not a matter they can read in comedy because they have serious responsibilities to report on this case professionally.
“How we report or interpret the verdict is what matters and I will advise private media owners to have lawyers to guide them in the newsroom on that day,” he added.
Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, General Manager, Newspapers, Graphic Communications Group Limited, stressed the need to define the law of contempt in the Constitution to avoid its abuse by the public.
He noted that the media is not prepared enough for the election petition because it is new to Ghana and most journalists thought it could not travel that far, especially the live telecast.
“The duty of a journalist is to provide truth and fair account but in-camera matters should be concealed in order to avoid contempt. There are ways of performing duties and by so doing we must not be constraint by the law but we must as well act professionally,” he added.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh, therefore, encouraged journalists not to personalise the Supreme Court ruling to avoid contempt.
Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Chairperson, Editors’ Forum, Ghana, said people might be thinking that the forum was belated but she was of the view that contempt would continue to live with the Ghanaian media long after the Supreme Court verdict.
Source: GNA/Ghana