Audio By Carbonatix
Lawyer Samson Lardi Ayenini, former News Editor at Joy FM has described as worrying, complaints that the Supreme Court ruling on the cases of criminal contempt may be an indictment on the freedom of speech and expression of individuals.
Speaking on Joy News Current Affairs Program PM:EXPRESS, Mr. Ayenini explained why these complaints are unwarranted
‘’The laws that empower us to go about these criticisms are the same laws that seek to protect us against people maliciously and recklessly running us down…..’’
He went on to say; ‘’ I think that the attempt to bring this unto the flood light of freedom of speech and to suggest that, that freedom is being shackled is most unfortunate’’.
Samson Lardy Ayenini, made it a point to differentiate criticism and contempt. He explained that criticism, no matter how severe, and despite inaccuracies, is in fact, not contempt.
Another Legal Practitioner Dr. Morris Ampaw who was also on the show, explained the progress of freedom of speech, including the freedom of the press and media, and emphasized the importance of not regressing.
He also went on to say that, journalists and citizens as a whole should take responsibility for statements that seek to mar the authority of the Supreme Court as the highest court of the land in the name of freedom of expression as this would only increase lawlessness in the country.
As to whether the media was a “partner in this crime” and the responsibility of the media in these issues Morris Ampaw said; the media had a greater share of the responsibility as a fourth estate of the land and must avoid bringing people on shows to match insults from different sides of the political divide.
“We must avoid interviewing people who do not have the expertise”, he stressed.
Speaking on the sentence of Ken Kuranchie, General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group in charge of Newspapers, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, who is also a lawyer, was of the view that, his sentence could have been averted or been minimal if his lawyer had given him some extra counsel.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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