The Abronye Charge Sheet – misuse in plain sight

Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) criminalises the publication of false news “likely to cause fear and alarm.” For decades, this provision has been invoked to arrest, detain, and prosecute journalists, activists, and commentators. It is a colonial‑era relic that should have been buried alongside criminal and seditious libel in 2001. Its continued existence undermines Ghana’s democratic credentials and the constitutional guarantee of free expression under Article 21 of th...

By Isaac Yeboah