[2020]DLHC10549 • February 24, 2020 • High Court
ACE ANAN ANKOMAH vs. KEVIN EKOW BAIDOO TAYLOR
The Plaintiff, Ace Anan Ankomah, a distinguished lawyer, sued the Defendant, Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor, for defamation arising from a video posted on social media accusing the Plaintiff of involvement in a business scandal related to Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM1). The Defendant alleged that the Plaintiff colluded with government officials to let fraudsters escape justice and falsely implicated NAM1. The Plaintiff denied all allegations and claimed the statements damaged his reputation.
read morei. Introduction: [1] The Internet has sparked a communication revolution in postmodern society. It offers society great opportunities for awareness creation and self-expression, all necessary especially in democratic societies which are reliant on informed citizen participation. It has become a useful research tool for many people including those in academia, journalism and law. The Internet is a communication medium which seemingly has no geographical boundaries . It is said to have democratized communication technological abridgment of time and space, placing power in the hands of ordinary citizens to disseminate information across space and preserve same in time. Undoubtedly, this accessible medium of communication has expanded the boundaries of free speech and self-expression through the availability of applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram, Flickr etcetera. Unfortunately, accessibility has not translated into responsibility and as with other medi...