A legal practitioner Amanda Clinton has called for the introduction of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) legislation in Ghana to protect legitimate free speech and public interest advocacy.

Speaking on TV3’s Agenda programme on Tuesday, May 27, 2026, Clinton warned that the weaponisation of the court system to suppress free speech had reached alarming levels.

“Weaponisation of the court system to curtail free speech is at an unprecedented level,” she stated.

According to her, debt recovery lawyers and other professionals are increasingly being dragged into lawsuits despite having no direct contractual relationship with debtors or disputed transactions.

She explained that many lawyers are now being forced to hire their own legal representation and file motions to dismiss what she described as frivolous claims.

“In 2026, debt recovery lawyers are increasingly being forced to instruct their own lawyers and file motions to dismiss frivolous claims,” she said.

Clinton argued that such legal actions unfairly damage reputations because the names of lawyers and their firms become associated with litigation in open court even when they are not the original parties to the dispute.

“They were not the original contracting parties; no monies were ever paid to them personally or professionally by the debtor; yet their names are dragged into litigation in an apparent attempt to allegedly smear their reputations in open court and ultimately in an attempt to silence them,” she stated.

She therefore called on civil society organisations and policymakers to push for anti-SLAPP legislation in Ghana.

According to her, such laws are designed to protect journalists, activists, lawyers, and citizens from baseless lawsuits intended to intimidate or silence individuals engaged in legitimate public interest work or free speech.

Clinton explained that anti-SLAPP statutes typically provide mechanisms for the early dismissal of frivolous lawsuits, shift the burden of proof to plaintiffs to demonstrate the merit of their claims, and allow defendants to recover legal costs where cases are deemed abusive.

“SLAPP legislation protects journalists, activists, and citizens from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). These are baseless, intimidating lawsuits filed by powerful entities not to seek justice, but to drain the target's financial resources and silence legitimate public interest reporting or free speech,” she noted.

She added that anti-SLAPP laws would help safeguard freedom of expression and strengthen democratic accountability in Ghana.