The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has raised concerns about the arrest of social media commentators and called for their constitutional rights to be protected.
The Association is also calling for reasonable bail conditions for suspects, saying bail requirements should not be excessive.
The GBA President, Efua Ghartey, made the call during the opening of the Association’s 2026/2027 Annual Conference in Ada.
Mrs Ghartey said the Association had adopted a resolution on excessive bail conditions at its first fully virtual Mid-year Conference held on June 5, 2026.
According to her, bail conditions imposed by investigative and prosecutorial authorities must follow Article 14 of the 1992 Constitution.
She said such conditions should be “reasonable, proportionate and consistent with the presumption of innocence”.
Mrs Ghartey also revealed that the GBA was considering the establishment of a Human Rights Watch Committee to monitor issues involving constitutional and human rights.
She said the proposed committee would be especially useful in cases involving social media commentators, including the recent arrests of some TikTokers.
“[In] cases where social commentators, such as the arrest of TikTokers, the Committee would be able to give the requisite legal Aid to suspects,” she stated.
Her comments come at a time when there has been increased public discussion about the arrest and prosecution of people over comments they make on social media.
Mrs Ghartey stressed that everyone accused of an offence must be treated in line with the law and that the presumption of innocence must be respected.
