Supreme Court sets Nov 12 for judgment on MPs vacant seats case

The Supreme Court of Ghana will announce its decision tomorrow on the issue of vacant parliamentary seats after hearing final arguments from both the plaintiff and the Attorney-General.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo set the date for the verdict after closing statements, signaling the court’s readiness to resolve the issue.

A noteworthy aspect of the case was the absence of the Speaker of Parliament’s legal representatives, who did not file a statement or appear in court. 

This lack of representation has sparked concerns, as the Speaker’s legal team was expected to contribute valuable insights into the constitutional interpretation of the disputed seats.

The Attorney-General voiced sharp criticism over the absence, particularly targeting the Speaker's lawyer, Thaddeus Sory, for not participating or submitting necessary documents, calling it a disregard for the judicial process.

In light of this, the Attorney-General urged the court to address the issue firmly, arguing that such actions undermine the court's authority in a matter with significant constitutional implications.

Addressing the court today, Mr Dame noted that everything in the constitution shows that ‘Parliament’ when used, refers to only one term of Parliament in session and nothing more.

Mr Dame insisted that in so far as Parliament is composed of a certain number of MPs, its composition should not be altered by anybody except in compliance with Constitutional direction.

Further, the AG admitted that the ruling that led to the loss of the seat of the Fomena MP, Honourable Asiama Andrew Asiamah Amoako was erroneous insisting that “no matter the number of times an unconstitutionality is repeated does not ripen its unconstitutionality.”

Tomorrow’s ruling is highly anticipated, with potential consequences for parliamentary representation and the obligations of public officials under the constitution.