CJ defends quick hearing of Dafeamekpor-ministerial-nominees’ case

The Chief Justice of Ghana has justified her decision to fast-track the hearing of a case filed by NDC MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor against the approval of ministerial nominees, as requested by the Attorney General.

Despite facing criticism, Gertrude Torkonoo explained during a briefing with the Judicial Press Corps on Thursday April 4, 2024 that the AG’s letter provided valid reasons for expediting the case.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo has provided clarification on the decision to expedite the injunction application filed by the MP for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, aimed at halting parliament’s confirmation of newly nominated ministers by President Akufo-Addo. Her Ladyship Justice Torkonoo insisted that the case was deemed ripe for hearing as all necessary procedures had been fulfilled.

At a media briefing in Accra on Thursday, the Chief Justice said “In this particular case, as soon as the case was filed, the Attorney General filed his response. He filed his affidavit to the opposition. So the case was right for hearing. We were going to go on Easter break and the Attorney General wrote and said that this is a matter of governance so could the court issue hearing notice for the case to be heard and the court was going to sit on Wednesday, so hearing notices were issued so that the applicant who filed the case himself and who should be interested in his case himself to come court and the two other respondents will also come to court.

“So the bailiff went and served all of them with hearing notices and when the court sat on that Wednesday, it formed part of our list because hearing notices have been served on everybody and the respondents had filed their affidavit in opposition. At least the Attorney General had.

“So when the case was called the affidavit of service was on the docket. We knew that the applicant had been served, the speaker had been served, the Attorney General had been served, the speaker’s lawyer was in court, the Attorney General was in court, Attorney General had filed his affidavit in opposition, so nothing should stop the hearing”.

It is worth noting that on March 27, the Supreme Court dismissed an application filed by South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, challenging the approval of new ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the court deemed the application frivolous and an abuse of the court process.

The Supreme Court ruled that the MP’s case had no direct relevance to the nominees before Parliament, as it primarily concerned reassigned Ministers.