Don’t Gag Us All – Manasseh Tells Judicial Service

Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has asked the judicial service and judges in the country to desist from sending a wrong signal to the public for criticizing their rulings and work in the court of law.

In a Facebook post cited by The New Publisher, Manasseh said the judges don’t need to gag critical comments of their work because they are not above reproach.

The post reads, “Judiciary, your power is from us the people, not your wigs. We know it when people cross the line of sanity. Don’t gag us all”

The former Multimedia employee’s statement comes days after a former Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine was cited for contempt of court.

Dr Ayine is reported to have accused the seven-member Supreme Court panel hearing the election petition case of having a “predetermined agenda” to rule against the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama.

He was thus summoned before the Supreme Court on Monday, February 22, 2021, after making the contemptuous comment.

He subsequently admitted in court that he “crossed the line” and appealed to the court for clemency.

After apologizing publicly for scandalizing the court, the Supreme Court judges forgave and discharged him.

Meanwhile the judicial service has cautioned media houses to refrain from publishing statements that incite “anger, hate and passion” against the justices presiding over the election petition case.

Their concern, they say “arises from the publication and/or permitting the publication of a series of incendiary, hateful and offensive statements, and speeches on their various platforms against the Justices.

“This concern has been heightened by the flurry of statements and speeches directed at our client’s Justices, especially after the commencement of hearing of the election petition in the suit intituled John Dramani Mahama v Electoral Commission & Nana Addo,” the statement read.

In the letter addressed to all media houses in the country, the legal counsel noted that publishing hateful and offensive stories against adjudicators threaten the democracy and peaceful nature of the country.