SC Judges Cry: Stop Feeding The Public With Toxic Materials

The nine-member bench hearing the ongoing election petition has issued a warning to party spokespersons and the media to be careful in their presentation of happenings at the Supreme Court in the ongoing election petition hearing. The bench also cautioned lawyers representing the parties involved in the case not to misrepresent events as they transpire in the chamber. Mr. Abraham Amaliba, a member of the NDC legal team was singled out for his utterances outside the court by the bench. To avoid any form of discrepancies, lead counsels for both parties have been asked to inform the public about what transpires in court. President of the bench, Justice William Atuguba warned that there had been too many instances of inaccurate reportage about the court proceedings. A member of the bench also noted that �the public has been served with too much toxic material.� Counsel for the 3rd respondent wasn't left out of the discussion as he also hopped in to share his thought. Lawyer Tsikata, with the permission of the court urged both parties in the case to ensure that their respective spokespersons are advised to brief the public with accurate information. �I think that we are all concerned that there be accurate statements about what happens�not just in these proceedings but just as a matter of basic professional training that there be accuracy in what we represent to the public�, he advised. Mr. Tsikata revealed that they have had a lot of concerns about counsels who are present in court but turn out to �grossly� misrepresent things when given the platforms to address issues that transpired in open court. Counsel for the 3rd respondent, pleaded with his Lordships to take a strong stance against person who have made it a habit to always misrepresent the court. As soon Mr. Tsikata took his seat, another judge shot in that he knows the public had been fed with too much inaccurate reportage about the ways events had turned out in court. Another member also cited the instance where a newspaper had wrongfully reported the bench�s ruling for the second time on an application by Mr Benony Tony Amekudzi, an Accra-based lawyer, for a review of the court�s decision on his earlier application challenging the hearing of the election petition describing it as a �fight for a majority decision�. He wondered how the said newspaper managed to publish such an erroneous story. �We are made to live with such reportage, but we need accurate reportage�that is very important�, he advised.