AYINE vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2020]DLSC9341

Date	2020-05-13
Suit No.	WRIT NO: J1/05/2018
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9341

YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING)

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

MARFUL-SAU JSC

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

KOTEY JSC

TONY LITHUR WITH HIM MARIETTA BREW APPIAH-OPONG FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

GODFRED YEBOAH DAME DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL WITH HIM MS

YVONNE BANNERMAN SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[2020]DLSC9341
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AYINE<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o: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" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; 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;">TONY LITHUR
WITH HIM MARIETTA BREW APPIAH-OPONG FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; 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;">GODFRED YEBOAH
DAME, DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL WITH HIM MS YVONNE BANNERMAN, SENIOR STATE
ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o: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" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; 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;">YEBOAH CJ
(PRESIDING), BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC,&nbsp;GBADEGBE JSC, MARFUL-SAU JSC, DORDZIE
(MRS.) JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, KOTEY 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><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">AMEGATCHER,
JSC:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">This writ is
invoking our original jurisdiction under articles 2(1) and 130(1)(a) of the
1992 Constitution. The writ was originally issued against the Attorney-General
and Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser Amidu (hereafter referred to as Martin Amidu),
the incumbent Special Prosecutor. By a ruling dated 5th February, 2019, this
court struck out Martin Amidu as 2nd defendant relying on article 88(5) of the
1992 Constitution. The writ now is against the Attorney-General as the sole
defendant.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">FACTS:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Following the
passage by Parliament of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, (Act
959), the Attorney-General acting in accordance with the provisions of Section
13(3) of the Act nominated for appointment by the President, Martin Amidu as
the Special Prosecutor subject to the approval of Parliament. The President
accepted the nomination and forwarded the name to Parliament for approval.
Parliament vetted and approved the nominee, and he was sworn into office as the
first substantive Special Prosecutor in February 2018. The curriculum vitae
submitted by Martin Amidu to Parliament for the vetting stated his date of
birth as 6th September, 1951. This implies that at the time of his nomination,
vetting, approval by Parliament and swearing in by the President, Martin Amidu
had attained the age of 66 years.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The plaintiff,
a former Deputy Attorney-General &amp; Minister of Justice and Member of
Parliament for Bolgatanga East describing himself as a citizen of Ghana seeking
the interpretation and enforcement of the Constitution issued this writ against
the Attorney-General for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that by a true and proper
interpretation of Articles 190(1)(d), 199(1), 199(4), and 295 of the 1992
Constitution, the retirement age of all holders of public offices created
pursuant to Article 190(1)(d) is sixty (60) years, anyhow and not beyond
sixty-five (65) years;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that by </main>