Ghana's judges need to update their jurisprudence - CDD boss on Larry Dogbe's 7-day jail sentence 

The Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, has criticised Ghana’s judiciary over the legal reasoning underpinning the seven-day jail sentence handed to journalist Larry Dogbe.

His comments follow the Accra High Court’s decision on Thursday, June 25, in a contempt case involving The Herald Newspaper Managing Editor and businessman Kevin Okyere.

The court convicted Mr. Dogbe after finding him guilty of contempt in relation to publications allegedly made in breach of a subsisting injunction restraining reporting on matters affecting Mr. Okyere’s reputation.

Reacting to the ruling in a social media post on the same day, Prof. Prempeh questioned the legal basis of the court’s approach and called for a review of judicial practice in such matters.

"Ghana's judges need to update their jurisprudence," he wrote.

The CDD boss, a legal expert, argued that the application of what he described as prior restraints on publication is inconsistent with modern democratic standards on free speech.

According to him, such legal restrictions, particularly gag orders preventing future publication, are outdated and do not align with contemporary constitutional protections for expression.

"Prior restraints--such as this gag order not to publish something in the future--are old school and not in consonance with contemporary standards of free speech in a democratic system," he stated.

The ruling has since triggered renewed discussion on the balance between judicial authority, injunctions, and press freedom in Ghana’s democratic and constitutional framework.