A seven-Member panel of the Supreme Court has in a unanimous decision ruled that a Deputy Speaker of Parliament can vote and be part of quorum for decision making in the House.
The contentious issue was whether a Deputy Speaker of Parliament presiding over proceedings can vote or should be counted as part of the quorum.
The panel chaired by Justice Jone Dotse said the approval of the budget was valid when deputy Speaker Joe Osei Owusu voted while he was presiding over affairs in the chamber.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has described the Supreme Court judgment as judicial support for the controversial E-Levy.
Addressing the media, Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu accused the judiciary of interfering in the work of the legislature which is another independent arm of government.
The Tamale South MP stated the ruling means deputy speakers must be stripped of their courtesies since the judgment makes them ordinary MPs contrary to what pertains in the UK and other jurisdictions.
Summary of the Supreme Court ruling:
1). A Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a. member of Parliament for quorum
2). A deputy speaker or any other member can vote and take part in the decision of parliament.
3). Order 109(3) of the standing orders of parliament has been struck down as unconstitutional.
4. The 2022 budget passed is constitutional and legal.
