The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has assured that the state will compensate journalists who suffer harm in the line of duty, emphasising that protecting media practitioners is a constitutional obligation of the government.
Speaking at the third Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Dinner Night at the Ghana International Press Centre on Monday, December 23, 2025, Dr. Srem-Sai said the assurance forms part of broader efforts to safeguard press freedom and strengthen democratic governance.
He explained that the Constitution places a clear responsibility on the state not only to refrain from harming journalists but also to actively prevent attacks against them and ensure accountability when violations occur.
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According to him, the government’s commitment to journalist safety is fourfold: protecting journalists from harm, preventing third parties from attacking them, prosecuting offenders, and compensating journalists who suffer injury in the course of their work.
“The first undertaking is that we will not hurt any journalist. The second is that we will not allow anyone to hurt any journalist. The third is that we will punish any person who hurts a journalist. And the final one is that we will compensate any journalist who has been hurt,” Dr. Srem-Sai stated.
He described the safety of journalists as fundamental to constitutional governance, noting that the work of the media is inseparable from the protection of democracy and the public interest. He disclosed that the Office of the Attorney General, as the principal defender of the Constitution, bears direct responsibility for ensuring journalists can operate without fear, intimidation, or violence.
“There is no way we can say we are successful in the performance of that duty when journalists are being harmed in any situation,” he said.
Dr. Srem-Sai further warned that any attack on a journalist should be treated as an attack on the Constitution itself, assuring media practitioners that the government would not ignore or downplay acts of violence or intimidation against them.
CNR