Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, a Senior Research Officer at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), states that Ghana's discussions about punishing speech reflect a worldwide effort to balance freedom of expression with public safety and accountability. He warns that making speech a crime too easily could harm open discussion.
Dr. Pumpuni Asante explained that Ghana repealed criminal libel laws in 2001. This change aimed to reduce the number of times speech could lead to criminal charges. His remarks come as political tensions rise. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) recently sent a petition to diplomatic representatives. They claim the government under the Mahama administration is suppressing dissent. The NPP also alleges politically motivated arrests.
The NPP's petition states that government bodies are used to scare political opponents, journalists, and critics. They claim this is done through unfair prosecutions and using parts of the Criminal Offences Act. The party pointed to the arrest of Kwame Baffoe, the Bono Regional Chairman. He was detained over comments allegedly made about a judge. The NPP called this an example of political persecution.
Dr. Pumpuni Asante noted that digital platforms have made free speech issues more complicated everywhere. He said, "But as we have moved into the digital space, the concerns have come back again, mostly because of the variety of speech that may be misleading or misinforming, or deliberately harmful." He stressed that Ghana is not alone in facing this challenge. Many countries are trying to find the right way to handle harmful speech without hurting democratic freedoms.
"It is a global issue that we are grappling with – what is the best way to find the balance between the right to free speech and the issues of accountability or security," Dr. Pumpuni Asante said. He added that worries about harmful speech are serious and should not be ignored. "These issues are real; they are not something to be joked with," he emphasized.