A private legal practitioner, Lawyer Amos Ayuure, has called on Ghanaians, especially politicians and youth activists, to exercise freedom of speech responsibly to protect public peace and national cohesion.
Speaking in a phone interview on Dreamz FM’s Breakfast Today programme, Lawyer Ayuure said Ghana’s laws guarantee freedom of expression but also place limitations on speech that threatens public order, morality and national security.
He cited Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which criminalizes the publication of statements or rumors likely to cause fear, alarm or disturb public peace.
According to him, irresponsible comments, including statements encouraging violence against public officials, should not be normalized under the guise of political commentary or satire.
“If you say let’s go and kill the president, is it in the public interest?” he questioned, stressing that such statements undermine responsible democratic discourse.
Lawyer Ayuure blamed increasing political polarization for emboldening individuals to make reckless public comments, noting that political actors often defend supporters regardless of the nature of their statements.
He said both senior politicians and grassroots supporters contribute to the problem, citing recent controversial comments by political figures as examples of irresponsible public discourse.
According to him, political patronage and selective application of the law discourage accountability and encourage misconduct.
The lawyer urged law enforcement agencies to apply the law fairly and without discrimination, regardless of a person’s political affiliation or social status.
He also advised young people to focus on issue-based politics instead of insults and attacks, arguing that political debates should center on development challenges such as poverty, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure.
Lawyer Ayuure further distinguished between criminal conduct and defamation, explaining that personal defamatory remarks against public officials should generally be addressed through civil suits rather than criminal prosecution.
He said public officials should avoid using state institutions to pursue personal grievances and instead seek legal remedies through the courts where appropriate.
