What Barker-Vormawor said about SC ruling on OSP's prosecutorial powers

Private legal practitioner, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has said the Supreme Court's unanimous dismissal of a suit challenging the prosecutorial powers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) underscores the need for constitutional reforms to address limitations in Ghana's legal framework.

Reacting to the judgment, Barker-Vormawor said the ruling preserves the Attorney General's constitutional authority over criminal prosecutions while offering a clear path for reforms to strengthen the country's accountability institutions.

"The way forward, I think, is that the court gives us a clear direction that we need constitutional reform to fix some of the issues that have come up," he said.

Barker-Vormawor explained that many legal experts had argued that the Constitution restricts Parliament's ability to grant the OSP complete prosecutorial independence through legislation.

Supreme Court upholds OSP's prosecutorial powers

He maintained that the ruling should not be viewed as a setback in the fight against corruption but as an opportunity to review Ghana's constitutional framework.

His comments follow the Supreme Court's unanimous decision to dismiss a constitutional challenge against provisions of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which grant the OSP independent prosecutorial powers.

The judgment affirms the legality of the OSP's operations while preserving the Attorney General's constitutional oversight of criminal prosecutions.

The decision is expected to allow the anti-corruption agency to continue pursuing ongoing corruption-related cases as discussions on constitutional reforms continue.

MRA/VPO

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