FRANK DAVIES vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION [2012]DLSC6404

Date	2012-11-14
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/1/2013
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC6404

ATUGUBA J.S.C. (PRESIDING)

ANSAH J.S.C.

OWUSU (MS.) J.S.C.

ANIN-YEBOAH J.S.C.

BAFFOE-BONNIE J.S.C.

GBADEGBE J.S.C.

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

NANA ASANTE BEDIATUO FOR THE PLAINTIFF

JAMES QUARSHIE-IDUN (WITH HIM ANTHONY DABI) FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT

NO APPEARANCE FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT

[2012]DLSC6404
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANK DAVIES <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">WRIT
NO. J1/1/2013&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: 14TH NOVEMBER, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<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">

NANA ASANTE BEDIATUO FOR THE
PLAINTIFF. <o:p></o:p>

JAMES QUARSHIE-IDUN (WITH HIM
ANTHONY DABI) FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT. <o:p></o:p>

NO APPEARANCE FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT. <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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 J.S.C. (PRESIDING), ANSAH
J.S.C., OWUSU (MS.) J.S.C., ANIN-YEBOAH J.S.C., BAFFOE-BONNIE J.S.C., GBADEGBE
J.S.C., AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS.) J.S.C.<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>ATUGUBA, J.S.C. <o:p></o:p>On
the 4th of October, 2012 the plaintiff issued in this court a writ, J/1/2013
against the defendants claiming as follows: <o:p></o:p>1.
"A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 47(6)
of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992 (hereinafter, the
"Constitution") the alteration of electoral boundaries pursuant to
the Representation of the People (Parliamentary Constituencies) Instrument,
2012 (Constitutional Instrument Number 78) which passed in Parliament on
October 2, 2012 (hereinafter, "C.I. 78") cannot come into effect
until the next dissolution of Parliament in January 2013. <o:p></o:p>2.
A declaration that not having come into effect, the constituencies created as a
result of the alteration of the electoral boundaries under C.I. 78 shall not be
included among the constituencies to be contested in the general elections
seated [SIC] for December 7, 2012. <o:p></o:p>3.
An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Electoral Commission from
including the newly created constituencies under C.I. 78 in the general
election of December 7, 2012 or any other election howsoever described prior to
the next dissolution of Parliament in January 2013." <o:p></o:p>The
issues raised in this action, save as regards the reliance on Article 2(1) of
Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance Supplementary to the
Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution,
Peacekeeping and Security of the Economic Community of West Africa States,
dated at Dakar on 21st December, 2001 and ratified by Ghana on 18th October,
2002 and Article 89(4) of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010, arose and were
decided by this court on 5th March, 2004 on virtually identical facts and
contentions as in this case, in Luke Mensah v. Attorney-General [2003-2004]
SCGLR 122. <o:p></o:p>The
parties did not find it necessary to file any memorandum of issues as there is
no difficulty as to them. The Attorney-General did not file any statement of
case and did not appear in court in any manner, following the unwholesome
precedent of his predecessor in Luke Mensah v. Attorney-General, supra. <o:p></o:p>The
crux of the plaintiff's case centres around article 47(6) of the 1992
Constitution of Ghana which provides as follows: <o:p></o:p>"
47. (6) Where the boundaries of a
constituency established under this article are altered as a result of a
review, the alteration shall come into effect upon the next dissolution of
Parliament." (e.s.) <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff's interpretation of this provision is captured mainly in paragraphs
4.3 to 4.5 and 6 to 6.4 of his statement of case dated 18th October, 2012 as
follows: <o:p></o:p>"4.3
Plaintiff's action herein is to challenge the constitutionality of the Electoral
Commission including the newly-created constituencies in the General Elections
of 2012, in the face of Article 47(6)'s clear admonition that any alteration of
electoral boundaries following a review of such boundaries can only take effect
upon the next dissolution of Parliament. <o:p></o:p>4.4
Plaintiff respectfully takes the view that the simple and unambiguous
construction of Article 47(6) requires that the "alteration" — which
simply refers to the change of boundaries, without more — will exist only upon
the next dissolution of Parliament. The current position, endorsed by this
Court in Luke Mensah, goes beyond alteration to allow elections to be held in
the constituencies which would otherwise exist once the alteration has come in
to effect BEFORE the said constituencies can be said to legally exist. In other
words, if the alteration has not come into effect, can the constituencies exist
to enable elections to be held therein? <o:p></o:p>