Barker-Vormawor urges courts to scrutinise rights violations in ‘Ghana Jollof’ case
Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Adviser at Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has urged Ghanaian courts to exercise greater vigilance in protecting constitutional rights in cases involving social media speech, saying alleged violations of suspects’ rights should not be overlooked simply because criminal allegations are before the courts.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Adviser at Democracy Hub, has urged Ghanaian courts to exercise greater vigilance in protecting constitutional rights in cases involving social media speech. In the 'Ghana Jollof' case, senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh was arrested and charged with abetment of crime for allegedly publishing and circulating false news.
While acknowledging the law enforcement's interest in investigating potentially criminal online content, Barker-Vormawor questioned whether the authorities had sufficiently identified the particular material that allegedly crossed the line from offensive or displeasing speech into criminal conduct. He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between general commentary and specific material forming the basis of criminal allegations, particularly in the case of Ms Bafoh, who is described as a regular online commentator.
Barker-Vormawor cautioned against treating allegations of making false statements that could cause fear and panic as participation in treasonous conduct. His broader concern is whether similar standards are being applied consistently to controversial speech, irrespective of the political affiliation of the speaker or the target.
Brief written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
