Parliament Brouhaha: Supreme Court adjourns Afenyo-Markin’s case to November 11

The Supreme Court is set to deliver a significant judgment on November 11, 2024, regarding the contentious case involving four vacated parliamentary seats.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has brought this case against Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, challenging the Speaker’s declaration that these seats were vacant.

This decision has sparked intense legal and political debate, as it raises critical questions about the limits of parliamentary authority and the judiciary’s role in interpreting constitutional provisions.

During the recent proceedings, the Attorney General objected to Speaker Bagbin’s continued use of private counsel, Thaddeus Sory, arguing that the engagement of external legal representation was unlawful due to a lack of prior approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

The Attorney General cited a December 2022 PPA letter denying a request from the Speaker’s office to hire external legal services, emphasizing that the Speaker should rely on the Attorney General’s office for legal representation in parliamentary matters.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal of Speaker Bagbin’s earlier motion to overturn a ruling that temporarily reversed his declaration of the four seats as vacant has heightened the stakes.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has underscored the potential harm to constituents who risk losing their parliamentary representation as Ghana approaches the December 7 general elections.