GJA raises alarm over growing use of lawsuits to intimidate Journalists

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has expressed concern over what it describes as the growing use of lawsuits to intimidate journalists and media organisations, warning that the trend poses a threat to press freedom and public interest journalism.

The concern follows the case of Larry Alans-Dogbey, Editor of The Herald newspaper, who was sentenced to seven days in prison for contempt of court.

Alans-Dogbey, the second defendant in a civil suit brought by businessman Kevin Okyere and Springfield Exploration and Production Limited, was convicted by the General Jurisdiction Division of the High Court in Accra on June 25, 2026. Justice Isaac Addo found him guilty of contempt for breaching an interlocutory injunction and ordered his immediate imprisonment.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, July 9, GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour acknowledged that individuals have the right to seek legal redress to protect their reputations but cautioned against using the courts to suppress critical journalism.

Mr. Dwumfour, however, stressed that there is a clear distinction between legitimate legal action and the misuse of litigation to intimidate journalists.

“The GJA recognises and strongly affirms that every citizen has a right to protect their reputation through the courts. No journalist is above the law. No media organisation is entitled to defame with impunity. Responsible journalism requires accuracy, fairness, and accountability,” he said.

“But there is a crucial distinction between legitimate legal redress and the weaponisation of litigation. Lawsuits are filed, not primarily to secure justice, but to intimidate journalists, exhaust resources, bury critical reporting at a legal cost, or send a chilling message to others. Then those suits become something else entirely. They become Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, in short, SLAPPs,” he stated.

According to him, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation are increasingly being used around the world to discourage investigative and public interest journalism.

He explained that such lawsuits often target reporting on corruption, government failures, procurement irregularities, abuse of office, environmental crimes, land disputes and financial misconduct.

“SLAPPs are a serious threat to journalism across the world. They are particularly dangerous because they often target public interest reporting, such as corruption exposés, government failures, procurement questions, abuse of office, environmental crimes, land disputes, financial misconduct, and other matters that citizens have a right to know about,” he said.

Mr. Dwumfour warned that Ghana was beginning to witness signs of the trend, with journalists and media houses increasingly facing lawsuits demanding substantial damages and prolonged legal battles.

“More and more, journalists, editors, and media houses are facing lawsuits with enormous damages, repeated claims, and legal pressure that can stretch long after the story has been published. In many cases, the objective appears not to be truth, but intimidation. The aim is to make the cost of reporting so high that the newsroom is forced into silence, caution, or self-censorship. This is unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said.

He described the case involving Mr. Alans-Dogbey as “a worrying example of the broader menace of SLAPPs and the chilling effect such proceedings can have on journalism.”

The GJA reiterated its commitment to defending press freedom while urging journalists to continue upholding the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and ethical reporting.