The Supreme Court of Ghana has dismissed an application by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, who sought to reverse a ruling that suspended his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
The decision comes amid intense political debate, as the current parliamentary balance hinges on these disputed seats. The Speaker’s legal team had argued that the Court overstepped its jurisdiction, among other points raised in court.
However, the Supreme Court, after considering arguments from both sides, including those from the Attorney-General, upheld its initial decision, stating that the appeal was without sufficient grounds. “We have concluded that the grounds supporting the application have no merit,” noted the Chief Justice.
This ruling also dismissed a separate objection from the Speaker’s counsel, Thaddeus Sory, who questioned Justice Ernest Gaewu’s involvement due to his past role as a candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Court rejected this challenge, affirming Justice Gaewu’s place on the panel. As Parliament remains evenly split, the Court’s directive to allow the four MPs to continue their duties further underscores the significance of this ruling ahead of Ghana’s 2024 elections.
Chief Justice’s Comments on Alban Bagbin’s actions and the story brewing about it.
The Speaker of Parliament in a public address called for Ghanaians to offer their support to parliament to strengthen it amidst the feud between both major political parties and between parliament and the Supreme Court.
The whole country must support parliament to be stronger – Alban Bagbin#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/pVtqXytNqV
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) October 29, 2024
We have considered the application, and we have come to the conclusion that the grounds supporting the application have no merit Chief Justice stated.
