The Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999) and the War on Vigilantism in Ghana: an Appraisal

Political vigilantism is a major blot on Ghana’s enviable democracy. The Act 999 was therefore adopted to criminalize acts of vigilantism in Ghana. However, after six years, negligible efforts have been made to enforce it. This paper examines how the act proposes to address the menace, the practical measures taken to enforce it, and highlights the factors delaying its enforcement. Data was obtained through expert interviews, published reports, books and journal articles. The study found that few efforts have been made to fully enforce the law, and that even though Act 999 provides severe sanctioning rules relative to the laws prior to its adoption, it also treats vigilantism as misdemeanor. It was therefore recommended that the political coloration of crimes should be discouraged: crime is crime, and must be treated as such regardless of who commits it.