Ghana’s Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has pledged that journalists who suffer harm in the line of duty will be compensated, underscoring that protecting media practitioners is a constitutional obligation of the state.
Speaking at the Ghana Journalists Association’s third annual Dinner Night at the International Press Centre on Dec. 23, Dr. Srem-Sai said the assurance reflects broader efforts to safeguard press freedom and strengthen democratic governance.
He explained that the Constitution places a clear responsibility on the state not only to refrain from harming journalists but also to actively prevent attacks against them and ensure accountability when violations occur.
“The first undertaking is that we will not hurt any journalist. The second is that we will not allow anyone to hurt any journalist. The third is that we will punish any person who hurts a journalist. And the final one is that we will compensate any journalist who has been hurt,” Dr. Srem-Sai said.
He described the safety of journalists as fundamental to constitutional governance, noting that the work of the media is inseparable from the protection of democracy and the public interest. The Office of the Attorney General, he added, bears direct responsibility for ensuring that journalists can operate without fear, intimidation, or violence.
“There is no way we can say we are successful in the performance of that duty when journalists are being harmed in any situation,” he said.
Dr. Srem-Sai further warned that any attack on a journalist should be treated as an attack on the Constitution itself, assuring media practitioners that the government would not ignore or downplay acts of violence or intimidation against them.
