The Judicial Service has urged the media to go ahead with its criticisms of the service as long as they are constructive but must refrain from insults and words that may dent the reputation of the Service.
According to the judicial service, they are open to criticisms from the media no matter how violent it would be but added that what it would not accept is for the justice adjudicating body to be subjected to vile abuse.
Yoni Kulendi, a Justice of the Supreme Court in a joint media engagement together with the Ghana Journalists Association, National Media Commission and the Ghana Bar Association, said when the judges speak it is final, but the onus lies on the media to do a good job by disseminating to the public.
“When judges speak, that is the end of our roles, it is not in our place to get into studios, into debates, commentaries, that responsibility falls to you [Media]…let’s be constructive, we are happy to be criticised. Criticise us as violently as you can but for Christ sake, don’t insult us. Don’t berate us, don’t speak hatred and don’t malign us,” Justice Kulendi said.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Roland Affail Monney on his part acknowledged the professionalism of the media men and women in the coverage of the Election Petition.
He, however, called on the media to ensure that, the job is done with the enviable coverage it has received so far and after the judgement is delivered on Thursday.
The latest caution by the Judicial Service comes after the Service rejected claims by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) that its recent statement asking the media to remove from their system incendiary and vengeful stories about judges on the election petition case constituted a threat to journalists.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
