We are literary in a one-party state today – Former Appeals Court judge

A former justice of the Appeals Court, Justice Saeed Kwaku Gyan, has asserted that the judiciary arm of government, which is to see to the interpretation of the laws of Ghana and justice delivery, is not performing its duty efficiently.

Speaking at a public lecture on the topic ‘Protecting Our Democracy. The Role of the Judiciary’, Justice Kwaku Gyan, indicated that the judiciary and, by extension, judges have, on a number of occasions, failed to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution of Ghana are lived to the letter.

He added that the country is now more of a 'one-party' state because the judiciary has virtually surrendered its power to the executive and the ruling party.

“The constitution then proceeds in Article 11 to state thus, ‘the sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limit laid down in this constitution'.

“The judiciary is the bone rock for achieving and achieving these proclamations set out in our constitution which underline the basic and fundamental precepts of democracy,” he said

He added, "Significantly, Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution states that parliament shall have no power to enact a law to establish a one-party state. I should say that today we are literally in a one-party state in this country”.

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