Digital misinformation revives debate over criminalising speech - Pumpuni Asante
Pumpuni Asante said on Tuesday on PM Express that Ghana's repeal of criminal libel laws in 2001 was intended to limit the circumstances under which speech could attract criminal sanctions, stating, "We got rid of criminal libel in 2001 with the expectation that really there have to be very limited circumstances for criminalising speech."
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) petitioned the diplomatic community over what it describes as growing suppression of dissent and politically motivated arrests under the Mahama administration. The NPP alleged that state institutions were being used to intimidate political opponents, journalists and critics through selective prosecutions and the use of sections of the Criminal Offences Act. The party cited the arrest and detention of Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe over comments allegedly made about a judge as an example of what it called political persecution. Pumpuni Asante said the emergence of digital platforms had complicated issues surrounding free speech globally. He also said Ghana is not alone in grappling with the challenge of regulating harmful speech without undermining democratic freedoms.
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CDD-Ghana's Dr. Pumpuni Asante weighed in on Ghana's speech regulation debate. He notes the balance between free expression, accountability, and public safety is a global struggle - but what does this mean for Ghana's digital space?
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