Justice Abdulai considering seeking review of SC ruling on Deputy Speaker’s vote

Private legal practitioner who was the plaintiff in the case at the Supreme Court regarding Deputy Speaker voting in Parliament, Justice Abdulai, has said he is waiting for the full ruling of the Supreme Court to determine whether or not he will seek a review.

“I am disappointed that Ghanaians have been given this decision but it is not over. We can go back when the report is issued. There can be a review when the report is released.

“if they change their minds, fine, if they do not change their minds and they want us to accept it, fine,” he told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise show on 3FM Thursday March 10.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a Deputy Speaker presiding over proceedings in Parliament has the right to vote on matters and also be counted as part of the quorum for decision making in Parliament.

In a unanimous decision, a seven-member panel of the apex court held that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, a Deputy Speaker who happens to be a member of Parliament does not lose his right to take part in decision making in Parliament.

The unanimous decision was given by Justices Jones Dotse, Nene Amegather, Prof Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Lovelace Johnson, Clemence Honyenuga and Yonny Kulendi, held that the passing of the budget on November 30, 2021 in which the first Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei Owusu,  counted himself as part of the quorum, was valid.

The Supreme Court also struck down order 109(3) of the standing orders of Parliament which prevented a deputy speaker presiding from voting, as unconstitutional.

Mr Abdulai said “whether it was 6-1 or 7-0 does not matter to me”.

“The ruling affects every Ghanaian, both born and unborn. Whether good or bad, it affects everyone because constitutional matters are very serious that is why you cannot play politics with constitutional matters”.

He explained that “the neutrality of the speaker has been taken away and that is dangerous”.

Source: |3news.com|Ghana