NDC Accuses Chief Justice Of Bias In Scheduling Cases

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticized Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for what they term as “palpable bias” in scheduling political cases in the country.

According to the NDC, the Supreme Court has not displayed impartiality in arraigning and adjudicating “political cases” brought before it.

This criticism follows the Supreme Court’s decision to schedule a hearing for Wednesday, March 27, 2024, on a writ filed by Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor at the Supreme Court. Dafeamekpor seeks to restrain the Speaker of Parliament and the Chamber from vetting and approving certain ministers of State referred to the House for consideration and appointments.

In a statement signed by the NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, the party expressed intrigue over the prioritization of the Dafeamekpor case for hearing, especially ahead of the case of Richard Dela Sky v. Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney-General.

“It is interesting to note that Richard Dela Sky filed his writ of summons in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024, on March 5, 2024. This was almost two (2) clear weeks before Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor filed his writ of summons on March 18, 2024, challenging the constitutionality of the latest ministerial nominations by the President,” Kwetey explained.

The party further stated, “Given the recent political deadlock that these two legal suits have created between the Executive arm and the Legislative arm of government, one would have expected that the date of filing of the cases would have informed the timing of their hearing by the apex Court.”

“It’s quite apparent that this is a ploy by the Chief Justice to fast-track the determination of the suit filed by Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor, while the determination of the Richard Dela Sky suit is deliberately and unduly delayed, to enable the President to shelve the crucial Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill that has been passed by Parliament,” the NDC asserted.

The statement said, “Even more bizarre is the fact that the case filed by some NDC Members of Parliament, challenging the constitutionality of the passage of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) Bill as far back as 2022, has not been listed for hearing by the Supreme Court till date.”

Read the full statement below:

NDC REACTS TO PALPABLE JUDICIAL BIAS IN THE SCHEDULING OF POLITICAL CASES IN THE SUPREME COURT OF GHANA 
 
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has become aware of the decision by the Chief Justice of Ghana to list the case of Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor v. the Speaker of Parliament and Attorney-General (SUIT NO: J1/12/2024) for hearing on Wednesday, 27th March, 2024.
 
The NDC is intrigued by the listing of the Dafeamekpor case for hearing, ahead of the case of Richard Dela Sky v. the Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney-General. 
 
It is interesting to note, that Richard Dela Sky filed his writ of summons in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024, on the 5th of March 2024. This was almost two (2) clear weeks before Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor filed his writ of summons on 18th March, 2024 challenging the constitutionality of the latest ministerial nominations by the President.
 
Given the recent political deadlock that these two legal suits have created between the Executive arm and the Legislative arm of government, one would have expected that the date of filing of the cases would have informed the timing of their hearing by the apex Court. 

Yet, for some strange reasons, the case of Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor which was last in time to be filed, has been hurriedly listed for hearing, while that of Richard Dela Sky which predated the Dafeamekpor case by two weeks, has not been listed for hearing at all. This is in spite of the fact that, no application for abridgment of time, has been filed by any of the parties in the Dafeamekpor case.