The Executive Director of Civil Society Group Alliance for Social
Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) Mensah Thompson has said a Judicial
Service notice that media houses pull down stories against the Supreme Court is
misplaced as the court and the entire judiciary is not above reproach.
ASEPA’s comment follows a the
issuance of a demand notice for media houses to pull down stories critical of
the Supreme Court as it is scandalous and affects the work of the court.
In a statement sighted by
MyNewsGh.com, ASEPA argued that the Supreme Court cannot consider itself above
reproach as the media is bound to report developments as the same media that
reported negative comments as ot happened, also reported apologies that was
said.
“This is the highest Court of
the Land and it represents the Judicial arm of Government, an arm that is not
above media scrutiny or any form of scrutiny from the people.” ASEPA said.
“When people criticize the
Executive or Parliament, no one writes to anybody to pull down their stories,
if they are in contempt of Parliament they are dealt with in accordance with
law and the media reports on same.” ASEPA added.
Find the full statement below:
THE SUPREME COURT CANNOT ORDER
THE MEDIA TO PULL DOWN STORIES ON THEM-ASEPA
The Supreme Court of Ghana
through its Lawyers, Sory@Law has written to the media to pull down
stories they reported about the Court earlier because the Court believes they
are scandalous!
First of all, this is
outrageous, the Supreme Court cannot behave like a private entity in a defamation
tussle.
This is the highest Court of the
Land and it represents the Judicial arm of Government, an arm that is not above
media scrutiny or any form of scrutiny from the people.
Secondly, the person who made
these so called scandalous statements, has been summoned by the Court and has
apologized before the Court and same way the media reported the scandalous
remark, it has reported the apologies as well.
Isn’t that what the media is
supposed to do, report?
When people criticize the
Executive or Parliament, no one writes to anybody to pull down their stories,
if they are in contempt of Parliament they are dealt with in accordance with
law and the media reports on same.
Asking the media to pull down
stories from website and other platforms because someone thinks it is
scandalous is an abuse of judicial power and to think that the Supreme Court
which derives it’s powers from the people is ever seeking to protect itself
from the people is even worse.
What the Supreme Court is
attempting to do is to put fear in the media and prevent it from publishing
“unpleasant ” stories about them in future.
So the Supreme Court is saying;
if the story about us is good publish it, if it’s negative don’t publish, if
you do, you will hear from our lawyers.
So the Court wants a monotony of
praises and never criticisms.
Assuming anytime we criticize
the Executive or the President, the Attorney General writes to the media house
to pull the story down, will there be any media practice in Ghana?
The fundamental freedom of the
Press enshrined under the Constitution of Ghana did not make an exception for
the Supreme Court, free media is one of the key ingredients in a democracy and
the moment any arm of Government begins to feel that they are an exception to
this rule, then you are nearing anarchy!
Mensah Thompson
Executive Director, ASEPA
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