AFUA POKUA, SHARDRACK ASSAN AND SAMUEL SEFA vs. NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE AUTHORITY, ISREAL QUARME AYER AND RICHJOYCE N. ARMAH [2016]DLHC4431

AFUA POKUA, SHARDRACK ASSAN AND SAMUEL SEFA vs. NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE AUTH... [2016]DLHC4431

Date	2016-06-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HRCM/CM 240/2015
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC4431

A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A

[2016]DLHC4431
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AFUA POKUA,
SHARDRACK ASSAN AND SAMUEL SEFA<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NATIONAL
HEALTH INSURANCE AUTHORITY, ISREAL QUARME AYER AND RICHJOYCE N. ARMAH<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:.2in">

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o: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" align="center" style="margin-top:1.45pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:.2in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:1.45pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>DOMAKYAAREH
(MRS) J. A. Sitting as Additional High Court Judge.<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The 1st applicant in this suit
is a News Editor in the employment of Multimedia Group Limited working with its
Adom 106.3 Fm News Department. The 2nd and 3rd applicants
are broadcast journalists also in the employment of Multimedia Group Limited
working in the Adom 106.3 Fm News Department. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The 1st respondent on the other hand is a
State Institution established by law to among other objects provide and mange a
national health insurance scheme. The 2nd and 3rd
respondents are employees of the 1st respondent and they are the
District Manager and Public Relations Officer respectively of the Ablekuma
Sub-Metro office of the 1st respondent.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The applicants are in court seeking to enforce their
fundamental human rights pursuant to Articles 21 (1)(a), 162 (4), 162 (5) and
24 (1) of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution and under Order 67 of C I 47.
They accordingly filed a motion to that effect on 10th March, 2015.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In order to better appreciate the import of
the applicants’ move, it is necessary to set out in extenso at the very
beginning, the Constitutional and other legal provisions that they are relying
on or invoking. We start with the Constitutional provisions.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Article
21 (1)(a):<o:p></o:p>“(1) All persons shall have the right to -<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
freedom of
speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other
media;”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Article 162 (4):<o:p></o:p>