Speaker urges plaintiff to go for review

Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has urged the plaintiff in the Supreme Court ruling, which allowed Deputy Speakers presiding over Parliament to vote, to go for a review.

The Speaker said: “I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out.”

In a statement, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, the Speaker said the Supreme Court’s decision, was, to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament.

“The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesn’t help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence,” the Speaker stated.

“The President’s comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament”.

Mr Bagbin said the impartiality of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Presiding Officer had been treasured and fought for by this country throughout Ghana’s democratic development.

“Mr President, the issue being discussed is not about Parliament being above the law. Everyone knows that Parliament is not above the law. The Executive and the Judiciary are equally not above the law,” he said.

“The issue being discussed is the political question doctrine. It took centuries to detail out the strands of this doctrine and the principles are settled as to when and how this closed book could be opened.”