Supreme Court Places Interim Injunction On New Media Content Law

The Supreme Court has placed an interim injunction on the implementation of the new Media Content Law which was introduced by the National Media Commission. 

The Court held that if an injunction is not put on the law pending the determination of the suit, some editors could be found culpable by the NMC and punished. 

The law which took effect last December requires media owners to seek content approval from the NMC before publication. 

The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, GIBA, not satisfied with the law, filed a motion at the Supreme Court to restrain the NMC from going ahead with the legislation. 

The Association is therefore praying the highest court of the land to expunge the new law as it is inconsistent with the 1992 constitution which guarantees freedom of the media. 

The private broadcasters described the new legislation as a threat to media freedom. 

The law was passed by Parliament on the 9th of December 2015 to sanitise the airwaves  but GIBA claims it is an attempt to reintroduce the Criminal Libel Law and therefore sued the NMC and the Attorney General to seek interpretation of the law at the Supreme Court.

GBC