Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah has cautioned court reporters against false reportage of pending cases in court since it has the potency to undermine Ghana’s democracy.
The Chief Justice indicated that the work of the judiciary requires that information about it must be accurate and handled with utmost care not to deceive the public.
He averred that when information that is not true about pending cases is spread about the judiciary, it undermines trust in their work and eats away at the very foundations of our republic.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Judicial Press Corps and the launch of a Handbook for Journalists on court reporting today, Monday, November 15, 2021, he said Ghana will remain a bastion of freedom of speech, but we must urgently address the issues of standards and propriety concerning court reporting, else we leave ourselves vulnerable to misinformation that will mislead citizenry.
He was of the view that the handbook would serve as a basic book for court reporters and indeed all journalists whose work brings them into contact with the Courts.
The handbook is intended to help journalists in Ghana craft accurate, comprehensive and unambiguous stories from the viewpoint of the law for the consumption of the general public, and thereby helping the populace to understand the judicial system of the country.
It also has useful information such as the Court hierarchy, legal phrases, terminologies and Courtroom language and the correct titles for judges and magistrates.
”With these two innovations, it is my hope that we are entering a new era of cooperation and partnership between the media and the Judiciary. Indeed, I believe that our democracy requires the press and Judiciary to work together. We must focus on efforts to build trust between us, so we can build confidence in our institutions from the general public. Let today be the day we take the first decisive steps towards this new era,” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
