Supreme Court nominee, Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, has expressed strong support for calls to criminalise misinformation and disinformation, particularly in the digital and social media space.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 16th June 2025, Sir Dennis was asked whether he believed the creation of fake accounts and the dissemination of false information online—especially in the era of artificial intelligence—should be criminalised.

“Yes, because if you do it ordinarily, it is an offence. Therefore, if you transpose it to social media, it should be an offence,” he stated.

Sir Dennis argued that criminal law must be applied consistently, regardless of the medium through which the offence is committed.

Responding to concerns that such laws could threaten freedom of speech, he dismissed the notion. “No, please,” he responded firmly. “In Ghana, we have the Communications Act. The Act has criminalised some acts.

For example, if you want to expose the nudeness of somebody or you say something that is prejudicial to the state and you do it on social media, it is an offence.”

He explained that legality should be determined by the nature of the act itself, not the platform it occurs on.

“If you do it in the country physically, it is an offence. So, if you do it on social media and it is an offence, it is not an extension of anything,” he said.

“Assuming it is not an offence if committed offline, and then we criminalise it only when done online, that would be wrong. But if it's already an offence physically, then it should remain an offence wherever it is done.”

Sir Dennis’s comments come at a time of growing concern over the harmful impact of fake news, deepfakes, and online impersonation in Ghana and beyond, as regulators and legal experts explore ways to safeguard the public while preserving fundamental rights.