Protect sanctity of the court – Law lecturer

Senior Law Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law Maxwell Opoku Agyeman has condemned the attack on journalists at the premises of the Supreme Court by supporters of Montie FM’s Salifu Maase, who is also known as Mugabe.

Hundreds of supporters of the host of the Pampaso show thronged the court Tuesday July 12 when the contempt case against him and two panellists, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, was being heard.

The supporters heckled journalists when they attempted to take pictures of him after the court proceedings.

Mr Opoku Agyeman, speaking to Class News, said management of the court must prevent the public from massing up outside the court during hearings for security reasons.

“The sanctity of our courts, the respect for our judges, and the respect for our institutions, we all have a stake in ensuring that we protect the integrity. Certainly, a court premises is not for ‘jama’ songs (chants), the court premises is not for all these things, but when tensions have been raised, sometimes all these things will happen. If a journalist is doing his professional job, I don’t know that the Supreme Court building is a security zone where pictures cannot be taken so, therefore, if persons prevent a journalist from doing his constitutional duty, of course if a journalist is assaulted or attacked, certainly actions may be brought against such person for assault and my colleague journalist must exercise extreme caution and care to ensure their safety,” he stated.