Promoting Responsibility and Professionalism: The Law Court and Media Freedom

I presented a paper as the Guest Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism Sam Arthur Memorial Lecture on 25th April 2006. It focused on what I termed, “Journalistic Pitfalls and Minefields in the Post-Criminal Libel Era.” The main theme was that agenda-setting by journalists and the constitutional protection given to journalists and the media come with a price. Journalists must therefore know what these potential pitfalls and minefields are. These are my notes from that lecture.

STATUTORY OFFENCES
 Threats of libel or slander
 Extorting property from another person by means of threats
 Failure to register a newspaper or publication: a maximum of 12 months imprisonment and/or a fine
 Failure to publish a rejoinder: a fine
 Failure to comply with the laid down broadcasting standards: a penalty including a pecuniary penalty determined by the National Media Commission

CONTEMPT OF COURT
Criminal Contempt
Words or acts that obstruct or tend to obstruct or interfere with the due administration of justice. It is in the nature of public injury and seeks to protect the public interest.

Contempt in facie curiae
Contempt in the face of the Court, i.e. any word spoken or act done in or in the precinct of the court, which obstructs or interferes with the due administration of justice or is calculated to do so, for example:
 assaults in court
 insults to the court
 interruption of court proceedings
 recording, filming, photographing or sketching in court without the court’s permission.

Contempt outside the Court
Words spoken/published, or acts done outside the court, intended or likely to interfere with/obstruct the fair administration of justice, for example:
 publications intended or likely to prejudice the fair trial or conduct of proceedings
 publications which prejudge issues in pending proceedings
 publications which scandalize or otherwise lower the authority of the court
 acts that interfere with or obstruct persons having duties to discharge in a court
 acts in abuse of the processes of the court.

Civil Contempt
Disobedience to a judgment, order or other process of the court, for example:
 refusal or neglect to do an act required by a judgment order of the court generally or within a time specified
 disobedience of a judgment or order requiring a person to abstain from doing a specified act
 breach of an undertaking given to the court

CIVIL DEFAMATION
 Publication of words that tend to lower a person in the estimation of right thinking members of the society
 Note the relevant defences:
o Justification: You must be able to justify the precise imputation complained of, and the onus to justify the imputation complained of is on you
o Fair Comment: (a) that each and every statement of fact in the words complained of are true; and (b) that the comment on the facts so proved was bona fide and fair on a matter of public interest
o Qualified Privilege: You have a legal, social or moral interest and duty to make or publish the matter complained of (without malice), to the person to whom it is made, and that the person to whom it is made, has a corresponding interest or duty to receive it.
 Damages: Societal/Judicial response to the quality of stories? New reach of media (radio and TV reviews, internet, etc.)?

PRODUCT ADVERTISING
News media to ensure that claims made on behalf of a product can be substantiated
Food
 False, misleading or deceptive adverts regarding the character, nature, value, additives, substance, quality, composition, merit or safety of food
 Advertising food in breach of prescribed standards Advertising salt that is not fortified with potassium iodate
 Advertising infant formula, any other product marketed as being suitable for feeding infants up to six months of age, follow-up formula, feeding bottles, teats and pacifiers
Beverages
 Alcohol ads are not to:
o be targeted at children, be played during or in close proximity to children’s programmes or feature children or role models
o imply success upon consumption, or therapeutic, stimulating, sedative or tranquilizing qualities
o infer improved performance or preference for high alcohol content, or link consumption to driving or aphrodisiac effects
o suggest that it is acceptable, helps resolve personal problems, is essential attributes of masculinity of femininity
o portray favourable aggressiveness or promote anti-social behaviour
o show alcohol consumption whilst working
Drugs
 False, misleading or deceptive ads regarding a drug’s character, constitution, value, potency, quality, composition, merits or safety
 Advertising drugs in breach of prescribed standards
 Ads of drugs to treat, prevent or cure the following: STD’s and other genito-urinary diseases, AIDS or diseases connected with the human reproductive functions, Amenorrhoea, Arterio-Sclerosis, Bladder Stones, Blindness, Cancer, Deafness, Diabetes, Diphtheria, Dropsy. Epilepsy or fits, Erysipelas, Gallstones, Goitre, Heart disease, Hernia or rupture, Kidney stones, Leprosy, Locomotortazy, Lupus, Nephritis or Bright’s disease, Paralysis, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Poliomyelitis, Scarlet fever, Septicaemia, Smallpox, Tetanus or lock-jaw, Trachoma, Tuberculosis or consumption.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS
 Individual journalists should join the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and be prepared to submit to the powers of the Ethics and Disciplinary Council
 There should be corporate membership of GJA for news media organisations
 Constitutionally protected rights of the media are not absolute (national security, public order and public morality considerations)
 Lack of Adequate Training in legal issues
 Bravery/Investigative Journalism/Sheer Foolhardiness
 Issues of privacy and what constitutes “fair game”