STEPHEN NII BORTEY OKANE AND OTHERS vs. ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA AND HON. ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2011]DLSC4097

STEPHEN NII BORTEY OKANE AND OTHERS vs. ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA AND HON. A... [2011]DLSC4097

Date	2011-06-23
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/2/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLSC4097

ATUGUBA JSC. (PRESIDING)

BROBBEY JSC

ANSAH JSC

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

ARYEETEY JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS) JSC

AYIKOI OTOO FOR THE PLAINTIFFS

JAMES QUASHIE-IDUN WITH HIM ANTHONY DABI FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT.

SYLVESTER WILLIAMS (PSA) FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT

[2011]DLSC4097
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >STEPHEN
NII BORTEY OKANE AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA AND HON. ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

WRIT NO. J1/2/2011&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 23RD JUNE, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AYIKOI OTOO FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS<o:p></o:p>JAMES QUASHIE-IDUN WITH
HIM ANTHONY DABI FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SYLVESTER
WILLIAMS (PSA) FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT<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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

ATUGUBA JSC. (PRESIDING),
BROBBEY JSC, ANSAH JSC, ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, ARYEETEY
JSC, GBADEGBE JSC, AND AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS) 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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>BROBBEY JSC: <o:p></o:p>The plaintiff in this
case issued a writ invoking the original jurisdiction of this court. The
reliefs sought in the writ were as follows:<o:p></o:p>“a)
A declaration that Local Government (Creation of New District Electoral Areas
and Designation of Units) Instrument L.I 1983 which came into force on 24th
November 2010 was made in contravention of the Constitution 1992.<o:p></o:p>b) An order declaring the said L.I. 1983 null and void
and of no legal effect.<o:p></o:p>c)
An order directed at the 2nd defendant restraining the Commission
from holding any District level and Unit Elections as scheduled to take place
on 28th day of December 2010, based upon the said Local Government
(Creation of New Districts Election Areas and Designation of&nbsp; Units) Instrument L.I. 1983 which came into
force on 24th November 2010.”<o:p></o:p>Before the action could
be determined, counsel for the first defendant filed a motion for an order
restricting the withholding of the District Assembly and Unit Committee
Elections to the Ledzokuku-Krowor District. The plaintiffs did not oppose the
motion. Rather, they asked that injunction be placed on the four new electoral
areas which were added to Ledzokuku-Krowor District.<o:p></o:p>That motion was granted.
The result was that the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections were
held throughout the country with the exception of the four electoral areas
added to the Ledzokuku-Krowor District. <o:p></o:p>The reason for that
ruling was simply this: The target of the writ was the validity of the
Legislative Instrument affecting only Ledzokuku-Krowor District. There was no
basis to have held up elections in the other parts of the country where there
was no dispute affecting the Legislative Instruments setting them up. The result
was that the issues relating to four electoral areas added to the
Ledzokuku-Krowor District remained outstanding.<o:p></o:p>Before considering the
main question raised by the writ, it is necessary to recount the facts which
precipitated the issuance of the writ. They are as follows: the
Ledzekuku-Krowor District Assembly was made up of two constituencies of
Ledzekuku for Teshie and Krowor for Nungua. The electoral areas for the two
constituencies were twelve for Ledzekuku and twelve for Krowor, thus making a total
of twenty four.<o:p></o:p>The Local Government
(Creation of New District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units)
Instruments, 2010 (LI 1983) was prepared and laid before Parliament.&nbsp; When LI 1983 was first laid before
Parliament, it had twenty four electoral areas. <o:p></o:p>As required by the 1992
Constitution, art 11(7), such a Legislative Instrument had to be published in
the Gazette and laid before
Parliament for twenty-one days from the day of being published in the Gazette. When it was laid before
Parliament, Parliament referred it to its Committee on Subsidiary Legislat</main>