• Live Radio
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
  • Despite Media
Ghana Election 2020
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • VIDEOS
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Live Radio
    • Photos
  • Election 2020
Local News
 
 
 
Home Comment Features 201607

Balancing Free Speech With Reasonable Responsibility

29-Jul-2016
/ Features, Comment
Email
Print
Comments 0
(0)
Comments
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
 

Wednesday’s sentencing of what has become known as the ‘Montie 3’ to four months imprisonment has sparked interesting debates, both among ordinary Ghanaians and in the legal fraternity.

While some say the journalist and radio panelists deserve the jail terms handed them by the apex court of the land, and will serve as a deterrent to others and ensure sanity in the media, others think the punishment is too harsh and constitutes an assault on free speech.

While we at the Daily Statesman condemn cruel and threatening statements, we also do not want to encourage a situation where the Court will work in ways that will appear to put undue fear into the citizenry, render them docile and timid such that they cannot hold leaders accountable through free expression of their views.

We, however, want to add that as we all push for a reasonable restraint by the Court, we should be careful not to create the impression that the freedom of speech Ghanaians are granted via the 1992 Constitution is a permission to voice thoughts encouraging fear and violence.

In light of this, it seems fair to expect that the freedom of expression should be reasonably restrained so people can enjoy their lives without experiencing fear because of others’ misuse of their own freedom.

It is important to note that the Supreme Court is a product of the 1992 Constitution, meaning that judges must be in complete conformity with the legal establishments. Any dialogue that risks disturbing the peace, law, collective order and national security, or is classified as hate speech, should not be allowed or encouraged in a modern society.

All citizens should be provided with protection from harm, be it physical, emotional or mental. That is not to say that anyone should be walking on eggshells, but rather to expect people to act with responsibility and be conscious of the consequences of their actions.

The fact cannot be gainsaid that unfettered freedom of speech, if not exercised in a responsible way, can spark civil unrest, strife and even wars. Hostility, encouraged violence and obvious distaste can, if given a big enough platform, influence people negatively and thereby enforce a distrustful and hateful society.

The events in Rwanda in the 1990s are an example of this. By demonizing the Tutsi and radio broadcasting their hatred and propaganda to the entire country, Hutu extremists contributed greatly to the Rwandan genocide, where over 500,000 Tutsi were killed.

Even though many Rwandans asked for international help prior to the genocide, alarmed by the message of the radio station, western diplomats dismissed it. The reason? They believed in the freedom of speech.

Ghana might have freedom of expression, but that does not mean that people can abuse their right and spread hate or incite violence or threaten the lives of others. Your freedom ends where another person’s freedom begins. In other words, our freedom of expression should not infringe on other people’s safety, as any freedom fails to be free the moment it endangers the freedom of others.

This, however, does not mean there should be any condition that unjustifiably cripples free speech. As we continue to debate the issue of whether or not the current posture of the Supreme Court seeks to undermine free speech, let us all endeavour to make matters easier for the state by balancing the right to free speech, as guaranteed by the constitution, with reasonable responsibility.

Source: Daily Statesman

 

 
 

 

Comments ( 0 ): Post Your Comments >>

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Featured Video
Previous Post

President Mahama And His Government Clutching At Straws

Next Post

The Montie Trio, Law, Media and National Security

 
 

More Stories

Will Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang partner John Mahama for Election 2024?
World Bank Verdict On Mahama Makes Him The Worst President In History - Ernest Owusu Bempah Writes
Chief Of Staff Frema Opare Is A Mother For All - Oppong
Remembering June 4, 44 Years On
Uncle Ebo Whyte On “The Whites Are Different?”
Ernest Owusu-Bempah Writes: Return of My First Coup d'état King Kong as President Would Be ‘Nailed-on Disaster’
Dr. Bawumia's Exceptional Strengths To Catapult The NPP To “Breaking The 8” In 2024
Nana Akomea Writes: Come Again, President Mahama, Without The Insults
Leveraging CSR As A Core Sustainability Strategy To Drivingbusiness Growth; O-A Danquah Shows Leadership
Next Post

The Montie Trio, Law, Media and National Security

  Opinion

  • Articles/Features
  • Editorials
  • Announcement
  • Press Release


 
 

Other Features Stories

  • Will Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang partner John Mahama for Election 2024?

  • World Bank Verdict On Mahama Makes Him The Worst President In History - Ernest Owusu Bempah Writes

  • Chief Of Staff Frema Opare Is A Mother For All - Oppong

  • Remembering June 4, 44 Years On

  • Uncle Ebo Whyte On “The Whites Are Different?”

  • Ernest Owusu-Bempah Writes: Return of My First Coup d'état King Kong as President Would Be ‘Nailed-on Disaster’

  • Dr. Bawumia's Exceptional Strengths To Catapult The NPP To “Breaking The 8” In 2024

  • Nana Akomea Writes: Come Again, President Mahama, Without The Insults

  • Leveraging CSR As A Core Sustainability Strategy To Drivingbusiness Growth; O-A Danquah Shows Leadership

  • Nana Akomea Writes: Come Again, President Mahama, Without The Insults

 

 
 

Popular Videos

Kokrokoo Live On Peace 104.3 FM (07/06/2023)

What's The Meaning Of Your Statement??? Ellen Daaku Asks Sammy Gyamfi

Peace Power Sports (05/06/2023)

Kokrokoo Discussion Segment On Peace 104.3 FM (05/06/2023)

Kokrokoo Discussion Segment On Peace 104.3 FM (06/06/2023)

Peace Power Sports (06/06/2023)

Peace FM Online and Despite Media

peacefmonline.com offers its reading audience with a comprehensive online source for up-to-the-minute news about politics, business, entertainment and other issues in Ghana

Follow us on social media:

Category

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Audio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Elections
Decision Time
Ghana Election 2020 2016 Elections
Services
Live Radio Audio on Demand Ghana Elections Advertise with Us
Useful Links
Despite Media About Us Contact Us Feedback Form Terms and Conditions Privacy
Our Brands
Despite Media UTV Peace FM Okay FM Hello FM Neat FM Peacefmonline
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media

  • Home
  • Local News
  • Politics
  • Showbiz
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Articles
  • Trivia
  • Foreign
  • Live Radio
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Audio
  • Election 2020

© 2020 Peacefmonline.com - An online portal owned and managed by Despite Media