Supreme Court dismisses request to have Justice Gaewu recused, upholds his role in vacant seats case
The Supreme Court has rejected an objection from Speaker Alban Bagbin’s legal team to Justice Yao Gaewu’s participation in the panel addressing the case on four vacated parliamentary seats.
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, who leads the bench, dismissed the motion, describing it as “misconceived” and affirming that the issue is constitutional, not partisan, and therefore Justice Gaewu’s alleged association with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would not compromise his impartiality.
The objection was raised by Speaker Bagbin’s counsel, Thaddeus Sory, who argued for Justice Gaewu’s recusal. However, after a brief adjournment, Chief Justice Torkonoo ruled to retain Justice Gaewu on the panel.
The court also addressed a separate motion from Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, seeking the removal of certain paragraphs from Speaker Bagbin’s affidavit. Dame argued these sections were “scandalous” and irrelevant, though the Chief Justice noted that this would be considered in the final judgment.
Additionally, NPP Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s representative, Joe Ghartey, faced a reprimand for breaching protocol by delegating opening statements to a junior lawyer. The court will proceed with the core arguments over the legality of the Speaker’s decision on the disputed seats as the case unfolds.
