Supreme Court ruling on Speaker Bagbin’s case apt; upholds rule of law - Vincent Assafuah

Member of Parliament for Old Tafo in the Ashanti region, Lawyer Ekow Vincent Assafuah has described the decision of the Supreme Court to dismiss the case of the Speaker of Parliament as apt.

Speaker Alban Bagbin and his Lawyers wrote to the Supreme Court to set aside the court’s earlier ruling staying his declaration of four seats vacant.

He was challenging the court’s jurisdiction over the matter but his case was dismissed by the Supreme Court.

In her ruling, Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo indicated that the constituencies—comprising hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians— who would be left without MPs and without the possibility of by-elections, as well as the irreversible impact on MPs potentially losing their seats just weeks before the December 7 election, it is necessary for this court to address this dispute promptly rather than issuing a 10-day interim order on Article 97(1)(g) as interpreted by the Speaker.

She added that it is vital for the Supreme Court to expedite proceedings, bridging the standard 14-day period, by allowing the constitutional action to proceed through a statement of case, requiring parties to submit their claims within seven days, and moving quickly to resolve the issues presented.

According to the Chief Justice had all parties complied with these directives within the suggested timeline, the case could have been resolved within the 10 days the applicant requested.

In a post shared via social media, Ekow Vincent Assafuah intimated that the position of the Supreme Court is the position he has espoused over the weeks.

He said “Over the past weeks, I stood firm in my position that the Speaker made an error in declaring the four seats vacant and argued that the Supreme Court has full jurisdiction to consider a stay of execution after the Exparte application from the Majority Leader.

Today, the Supreme Court’s ruling has reinforced my stance: practice directions cannot override Rules of Court like CI 47.

Today’s ruling also clarified that failing to adhere to a Supreme Court ruling constitutes a high crime—a significant reminder of the respect due to our judiciary. This ruling has affirmed the arguments I presented, which some, like Martin Kpebu, Justice Srem Sai and Senyo Hosi may have overlooked.