Court allows verbatim reporting of court proceedings

An Accra circuit Judge today ruled that media personnel covering court proceedings can report verbatim.

The ruling of the Judge, Mr Victor Ofoe, followed an objection by the Deputy Attorney-General, Mr. Martin Amidu that verbatim reports by the Ghanaian Chronicle on court proceedings in a case in which Kofi Coomson, Chief Editor of Ghanaian Chronicle and Eben Quarcoo, former Editor of the Free Press, are charged with criminal libel.

Mr Amidu urged the court to restrain the paper from reporting verbatim 'questions and answers' of the court's proceedings since they were prejudicial.

Mr Akoto Ampaw and Mr Emmanuel Ohene counsel for the Free Press and Ghanaian Chronicle, respectively objected to Mr Amidu's submissions and urged the court to dismiss it.

Counsel submitted that verbatim reports would rather ensure that there is accuracy and fairness in the papers' reports.

The editors have pleaded not guilty to libelling the NDC Government through publications that it dealt in narcotic drugs and used the proceeds to purchase arms and ammunition to destabilise the country should it lose the 1996 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Judge said, "having heard submissions from counsel for both sides, I come to the conclusion that the newspaper has the right to publish verbatim proceedings provided accuracy is not sacrificed".

Mr Ofoe said whether press reports are abridged, condensed or verbatim, they must be fair and not gabbled so as to produce misreporting or suppression of some parts of the evidence prejudicial to any of the parties concerned. Unless otherwise directed by the court that press reports would affect national security or public morality, the press must be allowed to do their work.

Mr. Ofoe declared, "I refrain from making an order restraining the Chronicle from making verbatim reports".