Media Law Preview

Introduction to Media Law

Communication Science Department

Lecturer: Alfred Massaquoi-C, PhD

Diploma Level: J3

Day: Tuesday

Lecture Time: 9:45-11:45 a.m.

A physician must have a background study of anatomy before he can study surgery. So the study of Mass Media Law dictates that a student must first have a general background in the Law and the operation of the judicial system. This is the purpose of the study of the Legal System, say, the American legal system which got its foundation from the British legal system. The course is in no way exhaustive – it supposes to be a quick, brief overview of the Legal System. Without this background a student of Journalism or Communication studies cannot understand broader and contemporary issues of Mass Media Law, such as Establishing a Libel Case, Proof of Fault, Defenses and Damages, Invasion of Privacy, News gathering, Telecommunication, The Law of Obscenity and Erotic Material, the Law of Advertising and so on.

It is important that you have an outline of this short course:

SOURCES OF THE LAW

• The Common Law
• The Role of Precedent
• Finding Common Law Cases
• The Law of Equity
• Statutory Law
• Constitutional Law
• Executive Orders, Administrative Rules

THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

• Facts Versus the Law
• The Federal Court System
• The Supreme Court
• Hearing a Case
• Other Federal Courts
• Federal Judges
• The State Court System
• Judicial Review
• Lawsuits

Students are expected to study ahead to make the class lectures interesting. Your class assignment will be a comparative study of the Ghana Legal System: Sources of the Law, and the Ghana Judicial System. I think a thorough understanding of the American or the British Legal System is a basis of your comparative analysis of the Ghana Legal System.