The Chief Justice, Anin Yeboah, has charged members of the newly formed Judicial Press Corps to desist from spreading false reports about pending cases at the Court since that undermines trust in the work of the judiciary.
The Chief Justice also charged members of the Judicial Press Corps to maintain high standards and propriety as they go about their work of reporting from the courts.
He was addressing a ceremony to officially inaugurate the Judicial Press Corps at the conference room of the Law Court Complex in Accra.
The Chief Justice, Anin Yeboah noted that the work of the Judiciary and the position it occupied within the constitutional architecture requires that information about the Judiciary must be accurate and handled with the utmost care not to deceive the public.
“When information which in not true about pending cases is spread about the Judiciary, it undermines trust in our work and eats away at the very foundations of our Republic. We do not have nor have any power, or option of interfering with media freedoms. Ghana must and will remain a bastion of freedom of speech. However, we must urgently address the issues of standards and propriety in relation to court reporting, else we leave ourselves vulnerable to misinformation that will mislead the citizenry,” the Chief Justice said.
The Chief Justice expressed optimize in the ability of the Judicial Press to report accurately on matters concerning the Judiciary since the team is composed of very well trained journalists. He urged the press corps not to report on cases involving marriage and divorce due to the sensitive nature of such cases.
He said: “Members of the Corps, I am happy to note you have received expert training and guidance from some very experienced Justices and officers of the Court. With such excellent training, I have no doubt at all that they are all ready to perform and do so extremely well. Matters relating to pending matrimonial causes, should not be a subject of publication.
Touching on the handbook for journalist which was launched as part of the official inauguration on the Judicial Press Corps, the Chief Justice noted that he is extremely happy to see the publication of same.
“This book must and I hope will be, the basic book for court reporters and indeed all journalists whose work brings them into contact with the Courts. With this two innovations, it is my hope that we are entering a new era of cooperation and partnership between the media and the Judiciary. Indeed, I believe that our democracy requires the press and the Judiciary to work together,” he said.
“We must focus on efforts to build trust between us, so we can build confidence in our institutions from the general public. Let today be the day we take the first decisive steps towards this new era” Chief Justice Anin Yeboah added.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu – Ayeboafo, in his remarks observed that misleading reports of journalists from the courts have the potential of causing serious social and political instability.
He noted that such inaccurate reportage embarrasses journalists, and the Judiciary and everything must be done to stop same.
On the handbook for Court reporting, the NMC chairman said the Commission will take a critical look at it and if possible, propose some form of review to it if need.
He expressed joy in the fact that the Judiciary has developed the handbook to serve as a guide to the media in Ghana.
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, a Justice of the Supreme Court, performed the swearing-in ceremony and Justice Dennis Adjei, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, launched and briefed the Judicial Press Corps on the ‘Reporting from the Court Handbook for Journalists.’
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion with their presence were Justice Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi, Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Aboagye Tandoh, Justice of the High Court, and Justice Charles Edward Ekow Baiden, also a Justice of the High Court.
The initial twenty-seven (27) member Judicial Press Corps, has the following as members; Joyce Danso, Ghana News Agency (GNA); Wilberforce Aboagye Asare, Asaase Radio; Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson, Daily Graphic; Justice Agbenorsi, Daily Graphic; Barbara Abena Kumah, GTV; Yvonne Asare Offei, GBC Radio; Naomi Komeh, GBC Radio; Selorm Amenyah, TV3; Malik Sullemana, Ghanaian Times; Castro Zanzina-Tong, Ghanaian Times; Fred Tettey Djarbanor, Citi TV/FM; Sixtus Dong Ullo, Citi TV/FM and Anku Morkporkpor, Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The rest are Ama Brako Ampofo, Angel TV/FM; Murtala K. Inusah, GHOne TV/Starr FM; Gibril Abdul Razak, Daily Guide; Gifty Amofa, Ghana News Agency (GNA); Joseph Ackah-Blay, Joy FM/Joy News; Kwaku Asante, Joy FM/Joy News; Elvis Andoh, Metro TV; Bernice Bessey, The Chronicle; Seth Kwame Boateng, Multimedia; Bernard Ato Arthur, UTV/Peace FM; Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman, Power FM/XYZ TV; Jeffery Attipoe, TV3; Mary Anane-Amponsah, Daily Graphic and Amos Kwofie, Adom TV / FM.
