Lawyer and human rights advocate, Gloria Ofori-Boadu, has called for calm and a renewed commitment to democratic principles, cautioning against premature conclusions and actions that risk undermining Ghana’s constitutional order.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, Mrs Ofori-Boadu reflected on Ghana’s democratic evolution, emphasising that the country’s current system is not merely constitutional, but one that embodies the ideals of constitutional liberal democracy — a system rooted in the protection of human rights and civil liberties.
“I will say we are jumping the gun, because Ghana – we are now in a constitutional liberal democracy. In fact, if I just say ‘constitutional’, I am limiting it, because there once was a time that we had the one-time democracy. But now we have the constitutional liberal democracy, which is broadening on the principles of human rights – the rights to be heard, the right to freedom and all that. We have all these freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.”
She highlighted the importance of constitutionalism, noting that the freedoms currently enjoyed by Ghanaians including the right to speak, to assemble, and to be heard are not incidental, but are legally protected and must be fiercely safeguarded.
