‘They have succeeded in turning a Supreme Court into a Stupid Court’ – Kpessa-Whyte

Dr. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, a Research Fellow with the History and Politics Department of the Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ghana and an ardent member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has slammed the Supreme Court of Ghana.

In a tweet shared on Friday, May 19, 2023, Dr. Kpessa-Whyte said that the highest court of the land has been turned into a ‘stupid court’.

The academic who was a witness in the 2020 election petition, suggested that judges of the courts should be taken back to school.

“They have succeeded in turning a Supreme Court into a Stupid Court. Common-sense is now a scarce commodity.

“A major element in the death of democracies is partisanship in the delivery of justice. Our judges need lessons in political philosophy and ethics. Time will tell!” he wrote.

It is not clear whether the remarks of Dr Kpessa-Whyte were a reaction to the recent judgment passed by the Supreme Court on the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament.

In the ruling, the apex court barred Mr Quayson from holding himself as a Member of Parliament, citinewsroom.com reports.

Mr Quayson was standing trial for counts of deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.

Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Justice Nene Amegatcher, Justice Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yonny Kulendi and Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu declared that Mr Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election 2020.

Background:

The State had on February 12, last year, charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts being; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.

As the trial continued on July 2022, his lawyers led by Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata questioned the competency of the Prosecution’s First Witness, Richard Takyi-Mensah, a teacher and his subsequent tendering of his witness statements.

But, his objection was overruled by the trial Judge Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzu on the grounds that the witness was competent and duly admitted the witness statements and paragraphs.

Dissatisfied with the High Court’s ruling, Mr. Quayson and his lawyers filed a motion at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the decision of the trial judge and order of Prohibition against the judge.

They have succeeded in turning a Supreme Court into a Stupid Court. Commonsense is now a scare commodity. A major element in the death of democracies is partisanship in the delivery of justice. Our judges need lessons in political philosophy and ethics.

Time will tell !

— Michael Kpessa-Whyte (@kpessawhyte) May 19, 2023

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