Ghana’s Supreme Court et al: Matters arising
The ongoing landmark litigation of Ghana’s December 7 and 8 Presidential elections and its live radio and television coverage must be applauded. It has brought to Ghanaians lessons in justice and how the system operates. Thus far, it has also demonstrated that Ghana can resolve its political differences not necessarily through the barrel of the gun or the shiny blades of machetes, but through legal arbitration. Highly commendable.
We hope that the honorable justices would enforce some decorum and call to order the behavior of some of the lawyers that appear before them. In much the same way the panel of judges should curtail the fawning and the deference shown to some lawyers who clearly show disrespect to their fellow learned friends and the court in general. The regulations of behavior of counsel in court make clear the sanctions to be applied in cases of infraction.
In related matters, we think it defies logic for the Supreme Court to have ruled as unconstitutional parts of the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 74) used to regulate the December 2012 elections. The April 30 ruling states that it was unconstitutional for the Supreme Court to sit everyday – including holidays and weekends – when confronted with post election legal issues such as is currently on going. And to add salt to injury, we’ve also come to realize that the court currently does not sit on Fridays. The Supreme Court has indicated that in some cases, it can review its own ruling, and we believe this is one ruling it needs to review, and fast. After all, elections are not held monthly. The courts are financed by the taxpayers, so are other institutions such as the police, fire, and military, but we don’t think the Fire Chief when called on a Sunday to put out fire at the Supreme Court edifice can answer that he does not work on Sundays.
Further to a switching ceremony, we realize Bui Dam is now operational; a 2 megawatt solar plant has also been switched on in Navrongo in the north. Great, but dumso still persists. Just a reminder. What about the much talked about thermal plants elsewhere? If dumso is being taken care of what about the national thirst for potable water. Another reminder of the Better Ghana Agenda.
The roads are still unmotorable; the schools are still under trees with expected rainstorms. Odaw River is completely choked with everything from human waste to human bodies, but Kantamanto is being moved out there. Another Better Ghana Agenda? And markets keep burning. Is it a way of moving people for development?
We appeal for a timely adjudication of the petition to ensure that the administration of the country is put its proper place. So many interested people, including investors are waiting in the wings to come to Ghana.
Posted by