Media Foundation for West Africa to hold forum on Criminal Offences Act

Accra, Feb. 7, GNA - A round table meeting will be held in Accra on February 9 to discuss the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29, Section 208 of the 1960 Criminal Code.

A statement signed by Prof. Kwame karkari, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) said the Act threatened to undermin= e the right to free expression in Ghana.

It said the one-day forum, supported by the US-based Freedom House, wa= s initiated by the MFWA to generate public debate following recent incessant application of the law by the police on Ghanaians, especially journalists. "In the view of MFWA, this piece of legislation contains clauses tha= t threaten media freedom in particular and freedom of expression in general.= " The statement said the meeting would discuss the possibility of proposing amendments to the Act to repeal those sections that threatened free speech and media freedom. A critique of Act 29 would be presented by two lawyers, Mr Ernest Kofi Abotsi and Mr Akoto Ampaw. Mr Justice S.A. Brobbey, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, will chair the programme.