TOMMY THOMPSON BOOKS LTD AND OTHERS vs. THE REPUBLIC [1996]DLCA627

Date	1996-05-30
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1996]DLCA627

SAPONG JA

ESSILFIE-BONDZIE JA

BENIN JA

NANA AKUFO-ADDO (WITH HIM AKOTO AMPAW) FOR THE APPELLANTS.

THOMAS AHLIJAH CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY (WITH HIM M K AFRIYIE PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1996]DLCA627</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">TOMMY THOMPSON BOOKS LTD AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[1995-96] 1 GLR 227<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">NANA AKUFO-ADDO (WITH HIM AKOTO AMPAW) FOR THE APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">THOMAS AHLIJAH CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY
(WITH HIM M K AFRIYIE PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">SAPONG, ESSILFIE-BONDZIE AND
BENIN JJA</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">JUDGMENT OF BENIN JA.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The only issue raised in this appeal is whether a person who is
not a public officer can lay a criminal complaint under section 112(2) of the
Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The facts giving rise to the appeal are not in dispute. Briefly
they are as follows: The appellants are all in one way or the other connected
to the newspaper called the Free Press. They are alleged to have published
certain libelous material concerning Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the first
lady of the Republic of Ghana. The appellants were accordingly charged with two
counts of intentional libel under section 112(2) of Act 29. They were put
before the Circuit Court, Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">A preliminary point was raised that since the complainant is not a
public officer, she could not lay a complaint under this section. The circuit
court dismissed this argument. An appeal to the High Court was also dismissed.
This is therefore a second appeal against the dismissal of the same point. It
is not in dispute that the complainant is not a public officer; hence the issue
raised in the courts below and in this court also as to whether non-public
officers are covered by this provision.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">Learned counsel for the appellants, Nana Akufo-Addo, submitted
that this is an offence of a public nature. That explains why in our case law
there is no example of any prosecution by a non-public officer. The cases in
question as set out are these: R v Frimpong [1959] GLR 287; State v Ahmad
[1961] GLR 96 and Gyimah v The Republic [1971] 2 GLR 147, CA. Also see an
earlier proceedings in the same case under the title Republic v Mensah-Gyimah,
High Court, 2 August 1969, unreported; digested in (1969) CC 150 and Badu v The
Republic [1974] 2 GLR 361. Also referred to is the circuit court case of
Republic v Naykene, Circuit Court, Accra, June 1992, unreported. Counsel said
the fact that all these prosecutions under this legislation were initiated by
public officers is a true reflection of the ambit and scope of this
legislation. Counsel said libel against non-public officers can be remedied in
civil proceedings. He said further that the view taken by the circuit court and
the High Court that every libelous publication is protected under this
legislation is untenable. He referred to the book by Robertson, Media Law (3rd
ed) at p 100 on the origin of this law which was meant or designed to prevent
loss of confidence in the sovereign government and that the same principle has
been translated into our legislation. He made reference to sections 114 and 117
of Act 29. The concept of public proceedings and public benefit run through the
defences that are available to an accused. The fact that as part of the defence
an accused must show that the publication was for the public benefit is an
indication that it is a public order offence applicable to public officers
only. He submitted further that it is a general rule that a restrictive
interpretation be put on penal statutes where the choice is between a broad and
a narrow interpretation. It is unthinkable that every conceivable or given
libel should land somebody in jail. Counsel urged that the interpretation being
canvassed by him is in accord with our own jurisprudence and that it is not by
accident that all prosecutions for criminal libel have been at the instance of
public officials. Counsel drew a distinction between our legislation and that
of the English; hence the reference made by the High Court judge to a passage
from Archibold’s Criminal Pleadings, Evidence and Practice (36th ed) was not
wholly applicable. Counsel also rejected the classification of offences made by
the High Court judge and said it is the nature of the offence which is
important. He therefore urged this court to allow the appeal and set aside the
circuit and High Court decisions and acquit and discharge the appellants.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">For his part, learned counsel for the Republic-respondent, Mr
Ahlijah, said the whole argument centres on what definition you give to the
word “person.” He therefore made reference to section 32 of the Interpretation
Act, 1960 (CA 4) and also sections 1, 4 and 66(1) of Act 29. He submitted that
wherever a “person” was used in Act 29 it meant an individual. That once
libelous matter was published against any individual, he could come under this
legislation. On section 117 of Act 29, his submission was that they are defences
available to an accused person and has nothing to do with the definition of a
public officer and does not create any offence. On the case law, he submitted
that though there is no precedent available, it does not preclude its
application to non-public officers. He therefore urged this court to uphold the
decision of both the circuit court and the High Court and accordingly dismiss
the appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">I will begin with the classification of offences undertaken by the
High Court judge following the divisions in Act 29. This is what the learned
judge said:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align</main>