PROFESSOR STEPHEN KWAKU ASARE vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL DEFENDANT [2004]DLSC2401

Date	2004-01-28
Suit No.	WRIT NO. 3/2002)
Citation No.	[2004]DLSC2401

ACQUAH C.J. (PRESIDING)

BADDOO J.S.C

DR TWUM J.S.C

PROF KLUDZE J.S.C

DR DATE-BAH J.S.C.

DR PHILIP BONDZI-SIMPSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

HON AMBROSE DERY DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE DEFENDANT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2004]DLSC2401</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">PROFESSOR
STEPHEN&nbsp;KWAKU ASARE</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:&quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:&quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">THE
ATTORNEY-GENERAL DEFENDANT</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:&quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:#0C00"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME
COURT</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">, ACCRA</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">]</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">WRIT NO. 3/2002)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;">&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;</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">DATE: 28TH JANUARY, 2004.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">HON AMBROSE DERY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL, FOR THE
DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">DR DATE-BAH J.S.C.:
[was invited by his Lordship the Chief Justice to deliver his opinion first].
This is an action brought to invoke the original jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court.&nbsp; It is expressed by the plaintiff to be pursuant to articles
2(1)(b) and 60 of the 1992 Constitution and rule 45 of the Supreme Court Rules,
1996 (CI 16).</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The facts</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The facts of the case
may briefly be stated as follows: On 21 February 2002, the President of the
Republic wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, informing the Speaker that the
President would be travelling to Australia to attend the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting, scheduled to take place from 2 to 5 March 2002 and that he
would be away from Ghana from 24 February until 10 March.&nbsp; He further
informed the Speaker that during that period, because the Vice-President would
also be absent from the country from the 24 to 27 February, the Speaker was,
pursuant to article 60(11) of the Constitution, to act as President for those
four days.&nbsp; Accordingly, on 24 February, the Speaker swore the
Presidential oath and acted for the President from the 24 to 27 February.&nbsp;</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">On 28 February, the
plaintiff, in his capacity as “a concerned, private Ghanaian citizen, who is
interested in upholding the respect for, and compliance with, the Constitution
and the rule of law”, as he declares in his writ, filed a writ at the Supreme
Court, </main>