The application to permit the daily telecast of the ongoing election petitions proceedings was denied by the Presidential Election Petition Court on Monday.
The request made by the displeased parties and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party was rejected by the five-person panel, which was chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani, as being without merit.
According to the court, allowing cameras in courtrooms is a significant judicial policy that needs to be protected by the law.
However, the decision states that no legislative or policy framework allowed it to grant the application.
“The court can only act and be guided by the practice guidelines and rules that have been approved by the Court of Appeal President.
Justice Tsammani stated, “We cannot allow a circumstance that could result in the dramatization of our proceedings.”
The court further determined that the request had no relevance to and was not a component of any relief that the petitioners had requested.
The petitioners had failed to demonstrate how the live broadcast of the proceedings would strengthen their case, the court ruled, adding that the request for a live broadcast would not add to the determination of the petitions.
Details to come…