Parliament’s Legal Department receives Supreme Court order freezing Speaker’s ruling on 4 MPs
The Legal Department of Parliament has officially received a Supreme Court order that temporarily halts Speaker Alban Bagbin’s recent decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant. This order, received on October 21, freezes the Speaker’s ruling, which had sparked significant political controversy.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament had filed an ex parte application seeking to stop the enforcement of the Speaker’s decision, which would have affected three of their MPs and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The MPs involved in the ruling were NDC’s Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), Andrew Amoakoh Asiamah (Fomena), Kojo Asante (Suhum), and Cynthia Morrison (Agona West).
The Speaker’s decision had faced backlash, and the legal challenge led to the Supreme Court issuing a stay of execution. This development adds further tension to the ongoing power struggle between the NPP and NDC, both vying for a majority in Parliament.
With this order now in effect, the status of the four MPs is legally protected, which will influence how Parliament proceeds when it reconvenes on October 22, 2024.
