NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY vs. NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS AND OTHERS [2000]DLSC499

Date	2000-11-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2000]DLSC499

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

AMPIAH JSC

KPEGAH JSC

ACQUAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

HON MARTIN AMIDU DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WITH HIM E ADDO SOLICITOR-GENERAL AND ANIM CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE APPLICANT.

HON NANA AKUFFO-ADDO (WITH HIM KWAME BOAFO AKUFFO) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT

[2000]DLSC499
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS AND
OTHERS<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

[1999-2000] 2 GLR 506&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 21ST NOVEMBER, 2000<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HON
MARTIN AMIDU, DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL, (WITH HIM E ADDO, SOLICITOR-GENERAL AND
ANIM, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

HON NANA AKUFFO-ADDO (WITH HIM KWAME
BOAFO AKUFFO) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

BAMFORD-ADDO, AMPIAH, KPEGAH, ACQUAH
AND ATUGUBA JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Bamford-Addo JSC.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The plaintiff in this case, a
registered political party contesting the 2000 Parliamentary and Presidential
Elections, filed a writ and accompanying statement of case in this court for:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">“(i) A declaration that the decision by the first defendant to put
forward the second and third defendants as candidates of the first defendant in
the 2000 Parliamentary Elections for Asante Akyem North and Bosomtwe
Constituencies, respectively, is inconsistent with and in contravention of the
Constitution, 1992, in particular article 94(3)(b) thereof and is void and of
no effect.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(ii) An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first
defendant from putting forward the second and third defendants as is its
parliamentary candidates in the 2000 Elections in so far as they are ineligible
to be members of Parliament.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(iii) An order of perpetual injunction restraining the second and
third defendants from standing as parliamentary candidates in the 2000
Elections in so far as they are ineligible to be members of Parliament.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 5pt 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">(iv) Such other orders as this court may deem meet.”<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The gist of the plaintiff’s case is
that a publication appeared in the State-owned newspaper The Ghanaian Times of
6 June 2000 at page 10 thereof to the effect that the second and third
defendants are civil servants working at the Ministries of Finance and Mines
and Energy respectively, and that the first defendant is reported to have
decided to approve their nomination as parliamentary candidates in the November
2000 Elections for the Asante Akyem North and Bosomtwe Constituencies,
respectively; and, further, that they were actively campaigning as such. It is
to be noted that in June this year the nomination exercise for parliamentary
candidates had not even commenced. It is the case of the plaintiff that by
virtue of article 94(3)(b) of the Constitution, 1992 a member of the civil
service is not eligible to be a member of Parliament and therefore the approval
by the first defendant for the future nomi</main>