Pronouncements against journalists not personal – CJ

Chief Justice Anin Yeboah has said the Judiciary is committed to media freedom and working with journalists to ensure the growth of the country’s democracy.

The Chief Justice also assured the country’s journalists, who might have been on the receiving end of judicial pronouncements that those comments were not personal.

Justice Anin Yeboah was speaking at the 25th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards held in Accra on Saturday, October 25, 2020.

He disclosed that in order to check excesses, the judiciary has to step in at certain times.

“Our relationship can often take a sour turn and there have been times when we have had to lay down the law and step in to check some of the excesses that are inevitable in any public endeavour such as media practice.

“For any journalist, who may have found themselves on the wrong side of a judicial pronouncements, I am here to tell you that it was not personal.

“Sometimes, this is needed to ensure that the right thing is done,” Justice Anin Yeboah noted.

He further indicated that the national survival of the country depends on the prosperity of its citizens.

“I can assure you that the judiciary is committed to media freedom and working with you, indeed, with all of you to grow our democracy and improve the lives of our people.

“Freedom of expression is not an end in itself.

“Our national survival depends as much on the prosperity of citizens and the prospects of achieving it, as it does,” Chief Justice Anin Yeboah.