DR. CLEMENT APAAK vs. THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2012]DLSC2688

Date	2012-10-17
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/27/2012
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC2688

ATUGUBA AG .C.J (PRESIDING)

DR. DATE-BAH J.S.C

ADINYIRA (MRS) J.S.C.

OWUSU (MS.)J.S.C

ANIN-YEBOAH J.S.C.

GBADEGBE J.S.C.

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS.) J.S.C

DR. ABDUL BAASIT AZIZ BAMBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

JAMES QUARSHIE-IDUN (WITH HIM ANTHONY DABI) FOR THE 1ST DEFENANT.

SYLVESTER WILLIAMS (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT.

[2012]DLSC2688
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DR. CLEMENT APAAK<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
AND THE 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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/27/2012&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 17TH OCTOBER, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DR.&nbsp; ABDUL BAASIT AZIZ BAMBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>JAMES QUARSHIE-IDUN (WITH
HIM ANTHONY DABI) FOR THE 1ST DEFENANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SYLVESTER
WILLIAMS (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) 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;
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ATUGUBA AG .C.J (PRESIDING), DR. DATE-BAH J.S.C,
ADINYIRA (MRS) J.S.C., OWUSU (MS.)J.S.C, ANIN-YEBOAH J.S.C., GBADEGBE J.S.C.,
AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS.) J.S.C &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<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;
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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>DR.
DATE-BAH JSC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>This is the unanimous judgment of the Court.&nbsp; In this case, the plaintiff challenges the
authority of the Minister responsible for Local Government to create electoral
areas in districts, municipalities and metropolises, which, according to the
plaintiff, he has purported to do under what he has construed to be enabling
power under the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462).&nbsp; The plaintiff has therefore brought this action
invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, seeking a declaration
that various legislative instruments specified in a Schedule attached to his
Writ were made in contravention of Article 45(b) of the 1992 Constitution.&nbsp; Article 45 of the Constitution reads as
follows:<o:p></o:p>“The
Electoral Commission shall have the following functions -<o:p></o:p>(a)
to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be
determined by law;<o:p></o:p>(b)
to demarcate the electoral boundaries for both national and local government
elections;<o:p></o:p>(c)
to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda;<o:p></o:p>(d)
to educate the people on the electoral process and its purpose;<o:p></o:p>(e)
to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters; and<o:p></o:p>(f)
to perform such other functions as may be prescribed by law”.<o:p></o:p>The first defendant, which, from the above provision, is
to be interpreted to have the exclusive constitutional authority to create
electoral areas, admits that the Minister has no authority to create electoral
areas.&nbsp; It, however, argues that the
Minister responsible for Local Government did not, in fact and in law,
establish or create electoral areas as contended by the Plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>The fact is, however, as illustrated by LI 1843, the
Local Government (Ketu North District Assembly) (Establishment) Instrument,
2007 (which is appended, by way of a sample, as an exhibit to the plaintiff’s
Statement of Case), the Legislative Instruments do contain a subsection 2(4) in
the following terms:<o:p></o:p>“For
the purpose of election to the Assembly the area of authority of the Assembly
shall be divided into the electoral areas specified in the First Schedule to
this Instrument.”<o:p></o:p>The issue is whether this provision (and similar
provisions in the other Legislative Instruments listed in the plaintiff’s
schedule) can reasonably be interpreted as amounting to the creation of
electoral areas by the Minister.&nbsp; The
first defendant’s conten</main>