The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as misleading claims by Attorney General, Nana Akuffo Addo that the fast track courts were created by the NDC government. The party says although it started a programme to equip the courts with modern technological devices to speed up the administration of justice it never established fast track courts.
The Attorney General told a press conference called, hours after the Supreme Court delivered judgement declaring the fast track courts as unconstitutional, that the said courts were not established by the NPP. According to him, they were initiated by the NDC and only inherited by him, adding that it was the Chief Justice and not the Attorney General who established the fast track courts.
The Chairman of the NDC’s Legal Committee, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni described as misleading the claim that the fast tracks were established by the NDC. He accused the Attorney General of seeking to distance the NPP government from the establishment of the fast track courts now that they have been caught in a constitutional issue.
According to him, the government did not hesitate in taking full credit for the establishment of the courts when the going was good. The NDC also said that it will be inappropriate for Chief Justice Wiredu to sit on the Supreme Court panel during the review of its decision that the fast track courts are illegal. The party says by sitting on the review panel, the Chief Justice will be a judge of his own case.
"His conduct in breaching the Constitution by setting up an unconstitutional and illegal court is extremely grave and serious and undermines his judicial oath". Alhaji Mumuni said the Chief Justice hit the limit of judicial propriety when he condescended to justify his position on radio while abandoning his colleagues, who had cause to disagree with him.
The NDC implored the government and those making provocative pronouncements on the ruling on fast track court’s ruling to be careful not to create a situation where the populace will loose confidence in the judiciary. There is "clearly a subtle and orchestrated campaign to cajole and intimidate the Supreme Court and the five majority judges in particularly in the run up to the review that the NPP (New Patriotic Party) government has applied for.
"We refer in particular to a statement by Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development on the GTV breakfast show on Tuesday (March 5), and others by Mr Sam Okudzeto, a Former President of the Ghana Bar Association as well as statements on FM radio stations by lawyers from the former chambers of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, the Attorney-General".
He said the; "NDC believes firmly that anyone, who has misappropriated state funds or causes unjustifiable loss to the state, whether yesterday, today or tomorrow, must face the law, but it must be before a constitutionally established court". Alhaji Mumuni said the government had directly interfered with the work of the judiciary by expecting all such persons put before the fast track court to be found guilty.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as misleading claims by Attorney General, Nana Akuffo Addo that the fast track courts were created by the NDC government. The party says although it started a programme to equip the courts with modern technological devices to speed up the administration of justice it never established fast track courts.
The Attorney General told a press conference called, hours after the Supreme Court delivered judgement declaring the fast track courts as unconstitutional, that the said courts were not established by the NPP. According to him, they were initiated by the NDC and only inherited by him, adding that it was the Chief Justice and not the Attorney General who established the fast track courts.
The Chairman of the NDC’s Legal Committee, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni described as misleading the claim that the fast tracks were established by the NDC. He accused the Attorney General of seeking to distance the NPP government from the establishment of the fast track courts now that they have been caught in a constitutional issue.
According to him, the government did not hesitate in taking full credit for the establishment of the courts when the going was good. The NDC also said that it will be inappropriate for Chief Justice Wiredu to sit on the Supreme Court panel during the review of its decision that the fast track courts are illegal. The party says by sitting on the review panel, the Chief Justice will be a judge of his own case.
"His conduct in breaching the Constitution by setting up an unconstitutional and illegal court is extremely grave and serious and undermines his judicial oath". Alhaji Mumuni said the Chief Justice hit the limit of judicial propriety when he condescended to justify his position on radio while abandoning his colleagues, who had cause to disagree with him.
The NDC implored the government and those making provocative pronouncements on the ruling on fast track court’s ruling to be careful not to create a situation where the populace will loose confidence in the judiciary. There is "clearly a subtle and orchestrated campaign to cajole and intimidate the Supreme Court and the five majority judges in particularly in the run up to the review that the NPP (New Patriotic Party) government has applied for.
"We refer in particular to a statement by Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development on the GTV breakfast show on Tuesday (March 5), and others by Mr Sam Okudzeto, a Former President of the Ghana Bar Association as well as statements on FM radio stations by lawyers from the former chambers of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, the Attorney-General".
He said the; "NDC believes firmly that anyone, who has misappropriated state funds or causes unjustifiable loss to the state, whether yesterday, today or tomorrow, must face the law, but it must be before a constitutionally established court". Alhaji Mumuni said the government had directly interfered with the work of the judiciary by expecting all such persons put before the fast track court to be found guilty.
