Senior Research Officer at CDD-Ghana, Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has called for a careful balance between the protection of free speech and growing concerns about accountability and security in the digital age.
Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Pumpuni Asante said the debate over regulating speech has become increasingly complex due to the rise of digital platforms and misinformation.
“We got rid of criminal libel in 2001 with the expectation that really there have to be very limited circumstances for criminalising speech,” he stated.
According to him, developments in the digital space have reignited concerns about harmful speech, misinformation, and deliberate attempts to mislead the public.
“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 explained.
His comments come amid heightened political tensions following a petition by the opposition New Patriotic Party to members of the diplomatic community over what the party describes as growing political persecution and suppression of dissent under the administration of John Dramani Mahama.
The NPP alleged that state institutions were being used against political opponents, journalists, and critics through arbitrary arrests and selective prosecutions.
The petition specifically referenced the arrest and detention of the party’s Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, over comments allegedly made about a judge and judicial impartiality.
However, Dr Pumpuni Asante stressed that the challenge of balancing free expression with public accountability is not unique to Ghana.
“It is a global issue that we are grappling with,” he said.
He explained that countries around the world are struggling to determine how best to protect free speech while also addressing legitimate concerns related to accountability, public safety, and national security.
“What is the best way to find the balance between the right to free speech and the issues of accountability or security?” he questioned.
According to him, such concerns cannot be dismissed lightly because of the potential dangers posed by harmful or misleading speech.
“These issues are real; they are not something to be joked with,” he stressed.
