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Withdraw petition against Dr Ayine – NDC tells Chief Justices

Published

5 years ago

June 21, 2021

Vida Essel-Lamptey

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked the Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Anim Yeboah to withdraw his petition to the General Legal Council (GLC) to investigate the Member of Parliament for the Bolgatanga East Constituency, Dr Dominic Ayine over comments made about the Supreme Court concerning the 2020 election petition ruling.

At a press conference addressed by the General Secretary of the Party, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia in Accra, the party said the decision to haul the legal practitioner before the council amount to intimidation adding Dr Ayine’s comment was only and expression of views of the court’s judgment hence does not warrant professional discipline.

He indicated at the press conference monitored by GhanaPlus.com that the action was unjustified and affront to the country’s democracy.

“We wish to reiterate the fact that the invitation for Dr Anyine to appear before the General Legal Council is yet another attempt by the Chief Justice to intimidate and suppress views that are at variant with his own views. Even if the Chief Justice disagree with Dr Anyine’s views or deem same as erroneous the statement made were decorous expressions of opinions about a judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of Ghana and do not warrant profession discipline”.

“We therefore join all meaningful Ghanaians to demand that the Chief Justice redraw his petition against Dr Ayine forth wards. We further serve notice that as a political party we will follow”.

Mr Aseidu Nketia said the country’s constitutional democracy would suffer a great setback if the council proceeds with its investigations into the matter adding that the NDC would resist any judiciary tyranny with all their might.

2020 election petition ruling : Supreme Court failed to apply rules of procedure

The Member of Parliament for the Bolgatanga East Constituency in the Upper East Region and a former Deputy Attorney General had been referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council (GLC) by the Chief Justice, Justice Anim Yeboah following statements he made recently.

Dr Ayine was reported to have said during a panel discussion on Presidential Election Petitions and their impact on Africa’s Democracy that the Supreme Court in the adjudication of the election petition failed to apply the rules of procedure and continuously dismissed the plaintiff’s applications.

“I expected the Supreme Court to apply faithfully the rules of procedure to – in terms of adducing evidence – prove the petitioner’s case and so on. What we saw was a Supreme Court that was constantly putting hurdles in the way of the petitioner in terms of adducing evidence to prove the petitioner’s case,” he said.

Source: GhanaPlus.com