Ghana’s Supreme Court Rejects Speaker’s Bid to Reverse Ruling on Vacant Parliamentary Seats

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed an application from Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, who sought to overturn a previous court ruling that temporarily halted his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

This decision marks a significant development in the ongoing power struggle between the Speaker and the Judiciary over interventions in parliamentary decisions.

Speaker Bagbin recently filed an application challenging the Supreme Court’s initial order, which prevented him from acting on his decision regarding the four seats.

His legal representative, Thaddeus Sory, argued that the Supreme Court had exceeded its authority by intervening in what Bagbin’s team considered an internal parliamentary matter, one which they argue should be outside judicial review.

The application aimed to reverse the court’s initial stay, allowing Bagbin to proceed with his ruling on the seats and nullify a writ filed by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, intended to prevent any further action on the contested seats.

Bagbin’s team contended that the Supreme Court’s involvement undermines parliamentary autonomy and the principle of separation of powers, asserting that the stay of execution applied only to judicial, not parliamentary, decisions.

However, Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoa defended the court’s decision, citing the need for prompt action to prevent “irreparable harm” to affected constituencies and members of parliament, especially as elections approach.

She urged both parties to expedite their claims, requesting submissions within seven days to address the issue efficiently.

 

Report by Dede Davies

 

 

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