ACCRA, June 20, 2018 (GJA) – THE Judicial Press Corps has petitioned the Chief Justice over the conduct of Her Worship Efua Sackey, Magistrate of the District Court 8 in Accra towards its members.

According to the petition signed by Wilberforce Asare, the Dean of ,the Judicial Press Corps, Her Worship Efua Sackey, who sat on a case – Republic v Dominic Obeng Andoh Tuesday, ordered the Court Warrant Officer to seize the mobile phones of journalists present in court ostensibly to to prevent them from recording court proceedings.

It said at the last adjourned date on June 12, 2018, Her Worship Sackey instructed them to seek clearance from the court registrar before they could access her court.

The petition said although the press corps found the directive a departure from the norm, they nevertheless obliged before they attended her court last Tuesday.

It, therefore, finds the order of Magistrate Efua Sackey to have their phones seized in the court as unfair and an affront to press freedom, since no journalist at any point before the seizure was ordered, contravened the laid down rules.

It noted that the Judicial Press Corps had attended series of training sessions organized by the Judicial Service, and so they know the dos and  don’ts of reporting in the court, adding that they have no intention to flout the rules.

The petition assured Magistrate Efua Sackey that no  Judicial they do not have any intention of recording or misreporting proceedings in her court.

The petition urged the Chief Justice to take action to address the problem.

By Felicia Kwarteng.