The High Court in Accra has ruled that the Ghana Police Service violated the constitutional rights of journalist Bridget Otoo and two other applicants during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest in September 2023.

The Human Rights Division 2 of the High Court, presided over by Justice Nana Brew, delivered judgment on Thursday in the case of Bridget Otoo & 2 Others v. The Inspector General of Police & Attorney-General.

The court found that officers of the Ghana Police Service engaged in unconstitutional conduct, including physical assault, unlawful detention and interference with journalistic activity during the demonstration.

Justice Brew held that the police violated the fundamental rights of persons they were duty-bound to protect.

According to the judgment, Bridget Otoo was assaulted by police officers during the protest, with her blouse allegedly ripped apart in the process.

The court also found that Vanessa Edotom Boateng was unlawfully detained and had her phone seized to prevent her from recording acts of police brutality.

George Gyening Anyang, another applicant, was said to have been assaulted while livestreaming events at the regional police station.

Court documents indicated that he was subjected to “slaps, punches, a metallic belt, and a baton” attacks by officers.

The court granted all reliefs sought by the applicants and awarded compensatory damages of GH¢100,000, general damages of GH¢50,000, and legal costs of GH¢30,000.

Justice Brew further ordered the Ghana Police Service to publish an unqualified apology in the state-owned Daily Graphic newspaper.

Counsel for the applicants, Samson Lardy Anyenini of A-PARTNERS@ LAW, had reportedly prayed the court to award higher legal costs due to the duration of the trial, which lasted nearly two years.

However, the court declined the request, observing that excessively high monetary awards could “cripple” the police service from functioning effectively.

In delivering the ruling, Justice Brew referenced previous decisions, including the Solomon Joojo Cobinah case, and cautioned against future human rights abuses by law enforcement officers.

He also expressed hope that the leadership of the Ghana Police Service under the new Inspector General of Police would prioritise the protection of the rights of journalists and the general public.

The #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest, organised in September 2023, drew national attention over issues of governance, economic hardship and police handling of demonstrators.

The demonstration led to several arrests and sparked criticism from civil society groups, media freedom advocates and human rights organisations over alleged police excesses.