The High Court of Justice (Human Rights Division 2, Accra) has ordered the Ghana Police Service to issue an unqualified public apology to Bridget Otoo and two others after ruling in their favour in a suit over alleged police brutality during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration in September 2023.
The court presided over by His Lordship Justice Nana Brew found that officers of the Ghana Police Service violated the fundamental rights of the applicants through conduct it described as unconstitutional.
The judge held that the actions of the police amounted to unlawful interference with the rights and freedoms of journalists and activists engaged in lawful protest activity.
A central part of the ruling was the directive that the police must publicly apologise to the victims.
The court ordered that the apology be published in the
Daily Graphic, describing it as an essential remedy to acknowledge the violations and reaffirm constitutional protections.
The court also established that Bridget Otoo was assaulted by officers, with her blouse torn during the incident.
It further found that Vanessa Edotom Boateng was unlawfully detained and had her mobile phone seized to prevent her from recording acts of misconduct.
In addition, George Gyening Anyang was beaten with slaps, punches, a metallic belt and a baton while livestreaming events at a police station.
Alongside the apology order, the court awarded compensatory damages of GHC 100,000, general damages of GHC 50,000, and legal costs of GHC 30,000 in favour of the applicants.
Counsel for the applicants, Samson Lardy Anyenini of A-PARTNERS@LAW, had sought higher costs due to the length of the trial, but the court declined, citing concerns about the potential impact on the operational capacity of the Police Service.
Justice Brew, referencing earlier human rights decisions including Solomon Joojo Cobinah & Others, stressed the importance of accountability in law enforcement and reaffirmed that the ordered public apology is a key step in remedying constitutional violations.
