Avoid certain political cases - Dr. Kojo Asante urges Supreme Court

The Director of Programmes and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has advocated for the Supreme Court to refrain from adjudicating certain political cases to preserve the principle of checks and balances.

On JoyNews' Newsfile on April 13, 2024, Dr. Asante expressed concerns about the potential impact of the apex court's involvement in political matters on its perceived bias and independence.

"I think sometimes, there are cases that the Supreme Court should not be dealing with. These are political matters that probably need to stay in Parliament or other places because the more you take on these cases, anytime you take a decision, one person loses," he said.

Dr. Asante emphasized the need for the court to find legal grounds to decline sitting on certain cases, rather than merely abstaining based on discretion. He warned against turning the court into an extension of Parliament, which could undermine the efficacy of checks and balances.

Dr. Asante called for proactive measures to limit the court's involvement in political matters, particularly in the aftermath of elections.

"We have to look at the legal arrangement that you are making to limit and mitigate that problem. Otherwise, if you look across West Africa now every election there is election adjudication and it is rampant. So it is not even the results that are being contested," he concluded.

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