Knowing your rights is an important factor towards the obeying of rules and regulations. We believe that everyone deserves to know the laws that govern them, and for that matter, know their basic human rights.
That is why, we will through ‘Know Your Right’ series, provide you with the relevant information you need to know about your rights.
There are a lot of human rights out there, but we will begin our journey with one of the basic rights to you as a citizen of the Republic of Ghana.
The right to remain silent:
The laws of Ghana, specifically under article 19 (10) of the constitution vests citizens the right to remain silent if he feels like it either at arrest point or even before the court during proceedings.
And that includes refusing to give a statement either orally or written form.
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As a suspect arrested by the police, it is your right to remain silent and that right must always be pointed out to you in a language you understand at the arrest point.
Failure to do this by the police may give you a right to object evidence against you in court.
NB; If under any circumstances, the police officer doing the arrest insist you either speak or write, you have the right to decline; and where you are forced by intimidation, coercion, torture and or deceit into doing this, the evidence may be inadmissible in the court.
Note that it is your lawyer’s responsibility to raise the objection to the admissibility of the evidenced procured illegally against you.