Football fans can be jailed for up to 10 years for assaulting a referee – Lawyer

 Nii Adamah Sackey, a legal practitioner has disclosed that football fans involved in hooliganism and assaulting referees can be convicted for a maximum of 10 years.The legal practitioner made mention of this during a campaign to educate the public on the consequences of assaulting referees during and after games.Assault on referees has been on the rise in the domestic league with the recent incident occurring at the Wanamafo Park in the National Division One game between Wanamafo Mighty Royals and Bofoakwa Tano where officials were brutally beaten by the home fans. An incident that received widespread condemnation from the GFA, CAF and FIFA.According to Lawyer Nii Adamah Sackey, various charges can be leveled up against culprits arrested in connection with assaulting referees or damaging properties at match venues.He indicated that some exceptional cases could see a person jailed for life should the assault be termed as a first-degree felony according to the law.Speaking at the launch of the RespectTheReferee campaign on Accra-based radio station Happy FM Nii Adamah Sackey explained the various offenses and their charges,In our criminal offense ACT 29 Section 84, on the offense of assault, the law explains it in three ways that if you touch someone without his consent with the intention of causing harm it is against the law.Taking hostage of a referee on the field, in the dressing room is against the law which in law is termed as imprisonment. Causing harm is also termed assault. Those liable will be jailed. If you are taken to court for such an offense you can be jailed for up to 10 years. For causing harm, in law, it is a second-degree felony so one can be jailed for up to 10 years.Third one is the use of an offensive weapon, if that is used on the referee if you are liable then you can be jailed for life. Also threatening the referee, you can be jailed for up to 10 years or be fined. The last one is the threat of death; that is if you threaten the referee and you are arrested which is classified as a second-degree felony you can also be jailed he concluded.