Judge slams State Attorney for misconduct in court

An Accra court judge Naa Adolley Azu, presiding over the application for mandamus filed by Indian businessman Ashok Kumar Sivaram, who is fighting an illegal deportation suit, a temporary residence/work permit, has chided state Attorney Ms. Jasmine Armah for misconduct in court today [Friday.

The judge expressed her displeasure at the lawyer for laughing and giggling when court was in session although she was notified several times to desist from doing so.

The judge who took strong exception at the lawyer’s behavior, asked her to stop laughing at the turn events and apologize for her actions. She subsequently apologized and stated that, her laughter was not directed at the judge nor was it her intension to disrespect the court.

Meanwhile, the court will hear the application for mandamus on September 18, 2017. Application for mandamus In his application, which named Mr. Takyi and Mr. Dery as respondents, the businessman is praying for the restoration of his residence and work permit, which was cancelled by the GIS following his deportation on June 1, 2017, on the basis that his deportation was quashed by the High Court on July 31, 2017.

He is also praying for an order restraining the two, their agents, servants or anyone acting on their authority from “making any attempt to deport him from Ghana’’ or “harassing him until his application is determined’’.

Mr. Sivaram claimed that the GIS had refused to accept the money he paid as the requisite fee for his application for visa on arrival, which he claimed was “a deliberate attempt to decline his application.’’

He therefore wants the court to declare the purported action by the GIS as “unfair, unreasonable and not supported by law’’ and order for the GIS to accept the money and process his application for visa on arrival.