There were literal “fireworks” at the Supreme Court of Ghana when five justices of the court, led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, sat on an application by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, challenging the court’s order for a stay of the declaration of four seats in the House vacant.
The Speaker of Parliament, through his lawyers, had asserted that the court had no jurisdiction over issues concerning the declaration of parliamentary seats and engaged in many procedural errors in directing the reversal of the Speaker’s declaration of the four seats vacant.
The panel of justices, in their ruling on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, dismissed the claims that the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, lacks jurisdiction to hear a matter of national interest, stating that every court is expected to stop hearing a matter once it is brought before them.
The ruling, which was read by Chief Justice Torkornoo, was full of criticism of the actions of Speaker Alban Bagbin on the declaration he made on October 18, 2024.
The justices directed criticism at the Speaker over his claim that he can only be served on Mondays and that any attempt to serve him on other days was unconstitutional.
They also indicated that Bagbin overstepped his power by interpreting an article of the 1992 Constitution, which is their sole mandate.
The Supreme Court also indicated that the Speaker was well aware of an injunction they issued for him not to declare the seats in question vacant, but he went on to do it.
They added that the declaration of the four seats vacant by Speaker Bagbin would cause irreparable damage not only to the four affected Members of Parliament, but also to the tens of thousands of Ghanaians they represent, before going on to quash his (the Speaker’s) application.
Watch the full ruling below:
BAI/AE
Meanwhile, catch up on the latest Election Desk on GhanaWeb TV interview as Patricia Rockson Hammond sits down with Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Kumankumah, Flagbearer of the CPP, below: