The Supreme Court has rejected an objection to the inclusion of Justice Ernest Gaewu in a case concerning Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.
This decision was made on Wednesday, October 30, after Thaddeus Sory, representing the Speaker, argued that Justice Gaewu’s previous political affiliations could create a conflict of interest.
Mr Sory pointed out that Justice Gaewu had previously run as a parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the ruling party in Ghana, suggesting that this background might affect his impartiality in the case.
The legal team for Speaker Bagbin requested that Justice Gaewu recuse himself to ensure fairness in the proceedings, emphasizing that his ties to the NPP could potentially bias his judgment regarding parliamentary matters.
The Supreme Court began hearings on the case today, as Speaker Bagbin aims to overturn an earlier ruling that placed a stay on his declaration of certain parliamentary seats as vacant.
This ruling has significant implications for parliamentary representation and the political landscape within Ghana’s legislature.
Mr Sory highlighted the importance of having an unbiased panel for a fair trial, stating that he was known to be associated with New Patriotic Party (NPP) and in fact was a parliamentary candidate in one of the constituencies in the Volta Region.
Despite these concerns, the Supreme Court decided to keep Justice Gaewu on the panel, paving the way for a critical legal battle that could impact both parliamentary integrity and judicial independence in Ghana.
