Parliament weakens itself when MPs run to courts for favors

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has expressed concern over the tendency of some Members of Parliament (MPs) to seek judicial intervention on matters he believes should be resolved within the legislative body.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, November 6, Bagbin stressed the need for an independent and respected Parliament that adheres to its constitutional role in governance.

“Parliament weakens itself when Members continually resort to the courts for favourable judgments on matters that are essentially political and governance-related, not strictly legal,” he stated, urging MPs to resolve issues through internal debate and compromise.

Bagbin further emphasized that Ghana’s Parliament should not act as a “rubber-stamp institution” under the influence of the Executive or Judiciary.

He called for a Parliament that is independent of external powers such as the Jubilee House, where the president’s office resides.

“I hope in my lifetime, Ghana shall have a Parliament and a Speaker who are truly independent of Jubilee or Flagstaff House or any headquarters in the conduct of parliamentary business,” Bagbin said, adding that a strong and self-sustained Parliament is critical to democracy.

Reaffirming Parliament’s duty to the Ghanaian people, Bagbin assured that no one would be permitted to disrupt parliamentary functions or challenge its democratic mandate.

He reminded MPs and the public that while civil society, the media, and other stakeholders can influence and critique government decisions, it is Parliament that is “legally and constitutionally structured and mandated” to hold the Executive accountable.

Bagbin concluded, “My dream, therefore, is a patriotic one: the existence of a firm, effective, efficient, and responsive Parliament whose members place national and constituency interests ahead of narrow, partisan, or personal interests.”