DAASEBRE ASARE BAAH III AND 4 OTHERS (PLAINTIFFS) vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION (DEFENDANTS) [2010]DLSC7835

DAASEBRE ASARE BAAH III AND 4 OTHERS (PLAINTIFFS) vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND T... [2010]DLSC7835

Date	2010-02-18
Suit No.	WRIT J1/8/2009
Citation No.	[2010]DLSC7835

WOOD (MRS) CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

ANIN YEBOAH JSC

AKWASI BOSOMPEM FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.

CLARENCE KUWORNU FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

MR. DABI FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

[2010]DLSC7835
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DAASEBRE ASARE
BAAH III AND 4 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>THE
ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[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">

WRIT
J1/8/2009&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 18TH
FEBRUARY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>AKWASI
BOSOMPEM FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.<o:p></o:p>CLARENCE
KUWORNU FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.<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">

MR.
DABI FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.<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">

WOOD
(MRS) CJ (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, OWUSU (MS) JSC, DOTSE JSC, ANIN YEBOAH JSC<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>WOOD (MRS), CJ:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Supreme
Court’s exclusive power of judicial review of legislative action is exercisable
under articles 2(1) and 130 (1) (b) of the 1992 Constitution. By these
articles, this court has exclusive original jurisdiction in “all matters
arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers conferred
on Parliament or any other authority or person by law or under this
Constitution.”<o:p></o:p>Article 1
(2), which unambiguously asserts the supremacy of the constitution as the
fundamental law of the land provides:<o:p></o:p>“(2)
The Constitution shall be the supreme law of Ghana and any other law found to
be inconsistent with any provision of this Constitution shall, to the extent of
the inconsistency, be void.”<o:p></o:p>Again,
articles 2 (1) (b) and 130 of the constitution state: <o:p></o:p>2 (1) A
person who alleges that -<o:p></o:p>(a) an
enactment or anything contained in or done under the authority of that or any
other enactment; or<o:p></o:p>(b) any
act or omission of any person;<o:p></o:p>is
inconsistent with, or is in contravention of a provision of this Constitution,
may bring an action in the Supreme Court for a declaration to that effect.<o:p></o:p>130.(1)
Subject to the jurisdiction of the High Court in the enforcement of the
Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms as provided in article 33 of this
Constitution, the Supreme Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in-<o:p></o:p>(a) all
matters relating to the enforcement or interpretation of this Constitution.<o:p></o:p>(b) all
matters arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers
conferred on Parliament or any other authority or person by law or under this
Constitution.”<o:p></o:p>In this action, the Plaintiffs, who are Paramount
Chiefs and sub-Chiefs, on behalf of themselves, communities and traditional
areas of Worawora, Bowiri, Apesokubi, Tapa and Nkonya, all in the Volta Region,
invoke this original jurisdiction for a number of reliefs, two of which are
declaratory in nature. They read:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list 54.0pt">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“A
declaration that the purported declaration by the President of Ghana of a
Biakoye District by E.I. 11 of 2007 is a nullity in law by reason of failure by
the President to direct the Electoral Commission to conduct a study and also to
receive the findings and recommendations of such a study for his consideration
before declaring the said new District in breach of Section 1 of the Local
Government Act, 1993 (Act 462).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
margin-left:54.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36.0pt;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list 54.0pt">