Supreme Court throws out review application by Abu Ramadan

The Supreme Court has thrown out a review application by the Youth Organiser of the Peoples National Convention Abu Ramadan.

By a 9-0 decision, the judges ruled that Abu Ramadan had no jurisdiction to file a review because he was not a party to the original case.


The judges have set October to give a comprehensive reason for the verdict given.


Ramadan had gone to court in search of a review of a ruling which was handed in favour of PNC General Secretary Bernard Mornah months ago.


Mornah had prayed the Supreme Court to quash CI 74 (71) which made it impossible for an appeal in an election petition case.


The same law also allowed judges hearing an Election Petition case to sit on holidays, a position Mornah described as illegal.

The court upheld the arguments of Mornah and ruled in his favor. By that decision, the loser of the ongoing Presidential Election Petition has a right to review.


The judges hearing the case also did not sit on holidays by virtue of the court's decision in the Mornah case.


Ramadan was convinced the judges' decision to uphold Mornah's case was perverse and therefore headed to the Supreme Court to review the decision.


But the judges ruled on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 that Ramadan had no locus to file a review on the matter.


Technical Knockout

Lawyer for Ramadan, Atta Akyea has described the judges' decision as "very unfortunate" and "miscarriage of justice."


He said the same law that empowered Mornah as a citizen to go to court to reverse portions of the law also allows Ramadan to proceed to court to seek same.


He told Citi News this "technical knockout" is unfortunate.


Atta Akyea said if the Attorney General, whose duty it is to protect the interest of the state in this matter, fails to take the initiative, individual Ghanaians must be given the right to.