Supreme Court rejects block on minister approvals.

The Supreme Court has rejected an injunction filed by Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, against Parliament’s endorsement of ministerial nominees by President Akufo-Addo.

The court deemed the application frivolous and an abuse of the judicial process, delivering a unanimous decision against it.

Dafeamekpor’s injunction aimed to halt Parliament from vetting and endorsing new ministers, including those reassigned by President Akufo-Addo in a recent reshuffle. He argued that the President’s actions were unconstitutional.

However, on March 27, when the case was brought before the court, both Dafeamekpor and his lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, were absent.

During the proceedings, the court learned that attempts to serve Dafeamekpor and the Speaker of Parliament with court documents faced obstacles.

The bailiff reported that Dafeamekpor’s representatives refused to accept the documents, allegedly instructed by Addo not to receive any service. However, the Speaker of Parliament was duly served, and documents were left at the premises of Dafeamekpor’s law firm.

Attorney-General Godfred Dame condemned the actions of Dafeamekpor’s lawyer, labeling them as a blatant disrespect to the Supreme Court and professional misconduct. He urged for the dismissal of the suit. Additionally, Thaddeus Sory, counsel for the Speaker of Parliament, opposed the injunction application, arguing that it failed to meet the necessary requirements.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling, emphasized that the reshuffling of ministers did not impact Parliament’s obligation to vet and approve nominees. Hence, there was no justification to obstruct Parliament’s proceedings.

The court underscored that the reassigned ministers were not pertinent to the vetting and approval process, hence there was no basis for halting Parliament’s activities.

The panel of justices, chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and comprising Kingsley Koomson, Mariama Owusu, Amadu Tanko, and Yaw Darko Asare, collectively decided to dismiss the injunction application.

Their decision rested on the understanding that the reshuffling of ministers did not hinder Parliament’s mandate to vet and approve nominees.