Court defers ruling on FDA’s ban on celebs endorsing alcoholic beverages

The Supreme Court has deferred its judgment in the case in which Mark Darlington Osae has filed a suit against directives that banned celebrities in alcoholic advertisements to April 24, 2024.

The apex Court panel of seven had fixed Wednesday, April 10, for its judgement.

Mark Osae, the manager of Reggie ‘N’ Bollie and Skrewfaze dissatisfied with the directive issued a writ at the Supreme Court on November 11, 2022, saying the FDA’s 2015 regulations are discriminatory against the creative arts industry.

The plaintiff (Mark Darlington Osae), also a music publisher at Perfect Note Publishing, wants the Supreme Court to take down that regulation.

Before the action was initiated at the Supreme Court, some of the stakeholders in the creative industry including, Wendy Shay, Shatta Wale, Brother Sammy, Kuami Eugene, and Camidoh, had all spoken against the law and had called on powers that be to repeal it.

In the writ issued on November 11, the plaintiff, Mark Darlington Osae said those areas of the FDA’s 2015 regulations are tantamount to discrimination on grounds of economic status, and occupation among others.

The artist, manager, and music publisher is thus asking the Supreme Court to render as unconstitutional the guidelines which stipulate that, “No well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising.” Mr Darlington Osae is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Ghana Music Alliance.