Protecting Freedom of Expression, safety of journalists : Workshop held for Judges in Ho

A training workshop for judges on the need to protect the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists has been held in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah called on judges to swiftly deal with matters that bother the attack on journalists and punish such perpetrators irrespective of their backgrounds or affiliations.

According to the Minister, such a step will stem the tide of attacks against journalists and nip those acts in the bud by deterring state or non-state actors from attacking journalists in the course of their duties.

Admitting the fact that the wheels of justice grind slowly, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah conveyed the plea of colleague journalists to Judges to do their best by instituting quick punitive measures against such persons.

The workshop, which was put together to build the capacity of judges in dealing with matters bothering the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, attracted about twenty-five justices drawn from the High Court and Court of Appeal.

On his part, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Sir Dennis Adjei, who represented the Chief Justice at the program, noted that in order to deal with such infringement on the safety of journalists, there would be the need for a collaboration among the various stakeholders in the media space to work together in building a strong and robust media eco-system which will in turn deal with the threats and infringements.

Also, the Country Representative for UNESCO, Abdourahmane Diallo called for the attention of duty-bearers, arbitration authorities, and security personnel in dealing with such delicate matters as one that concerns journalists.

He added that the freedom and safety of journalists are very vital in determining how a country complies or otherwise with its provisions on fundamental human rights.