The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper has revealed that he was once nearly jailed for reading a newspaper at a place considered inappropriate. Mr Pratt, who earns his living writing and managing a newspaper, revealed that as a Court reporter in the early 1970’s, it took the intervention of some magnanimous lawyers to plead on his behalf when he was found reading a newspaper in a court chaired by then High Court Judge Brobbey. “I have done a lot of Court Reporting so I know a lot about the court. I remember in 1974 I was nearly jailed by Justice Brobbey sitting at the Labadi for reading a newspaper in the court. It took the intervention of some courageous lawyers at the time to plead on my behalf before the judge allowed me to go scot-free” he revealed on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show of May 16, 2013. The Insight Editor was commenting on public perceptions on proceedings at the ongoing election petition at the Supreme Court, which have been interpreted variously by persons on both sides of the political divide on a number of social media platforms including Facebook as well as on radio and TV. There were several heated exchanges between lawyers Philip Addison, Tsatsu Tsikata and the members of the nine-member panel hearing the petition yesterday on Wednesday May 15, 2013 which has generated heated debate among lawyers and non-lawyers alike. Mr Pratt said the Supreme Court panel had been liberal in its application of the laws of contempt of court, since many of the discussions on the ongoing proceedings could be interpreted to be prejudicial to the hearing of the petition. Citing his personal experience of a close brush with the law, Mr Pratt said the courts had the power to determine what was considered contemptuous of the court, and even commentators on social media could face the wrath of the courts. Even wearing a t-shirt to Magistrate court could be viewed as in contempt of the court, he warned journalists and those who wished to witness proceedings in person. “Contempt of Court is determined by the court if it views any action as prejudicial to proceedings. Nowadays it seems the courts have become more liberal in their application of the law” adding, the judges appear to have turned a blind eye to the discussions on radio and TV of ongoing cases at the courts. “Let me give you a typical example. The Woyome case is in court, but people go on radio and call the man a thief. That is straight forward contempt, because that is the matter being determined by the court. Who are you to sit on radio and determine the outcome of an ongoing case? “Some too say ‘Bawumia was a flop’. Who are you to determine that? And then there are all the insults being heaped on Tsatsu Tsikata. But the judges appear to have relaxed the system so nowadays people can say anything and get away with it.”