Supreme Court dismisses Speaker Bagbin’s application to reverse its ruling on vacant seats
The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin seeking to reverse an earlier ruling that suspended his decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.
This ruling stemmed from an initial suit by Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who challenged the Speaker’s declaration.
The Speaker’s legal team argued the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction over the case and raised additional points to contest the suspension.
However, following arguments from all parties, including the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Court ruled that the Speaker’s appeal lacked merit. Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo emphasized that the grounds presented by the Speaker’s counsel did not hold up under scrutiny.
“We have considered the application, and we have come to the conclusion that the grounds supporting the application have no merit,” the Chief Justice stated.
The Court also rejected an objection by Thaddeus Sory, Speaker Bagbin’s lawyer, over Justice Ernest Gaewu’s place on the panel due to Ernest Gaewu’s prior political affiliation with the NPP.
The Court maintained that Justice Gaewu’s position did not constitute a conflict of interest.
This decision follows an October 18 order allowing the four MPs to retain their parliamentary duties while the case proceeds, highlighting the critical balance of power in Ghana’s Parliament, where both sides claim a majority.
