Former President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed disappointment over Supreme Court’s ruling in case brought before it against Joseph Osei-Owusu’s vote casting while presiding over meetings.
The court, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, on Wednesday March 9, 2022 unanimously ruled that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament has a constitutional right to vote while acting in stead of the Speaker of the House, so long as the deputy remains a Member of Parliament (MP).
According to the court, articles 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution grants the Deputy Speaker to partake in decision-making processes and to be counted to form a quorum.
The seven-member panel who heard the case brought before them by a law lecturer, Justice Abdulai, further struck out Parliament’s standing order 109 (3) which seeks to deny a deputy speaker from partaking in the decision-making processes when presiding over meetings. Thus the Justices declared the standing order unconstitutional.
However, in his reaction to the ruling, John Mahama said though it was shocking to hear the Justices unanimously rule in favour of the MP for Bekwai Constituency, it was not surprising.
According to him, the decision of the court is an “unfortunate interpretation for convenience that sets a dangerous precedent of judicial interference in Parliamentary procedure for the future”.
His comments however is in consonance with that of the Minority Caucus’ which asserts that the ruling was a demonstration of the Judicial Service’s support for the E-levy.
