JUSTICE ABDULAI vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2022]DLSC11238

Date	2022-03-09
Suit No.	WRIT NO. Jl/07/2022
Citation No.	[2022]DLSC11238

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

AMEGATCHER JSC

PROF. KOTEY JSC

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

HONYENUGA JSC

KULENDI JSC

PLAINTIFF APPEARED IN PERSON.

GODFRED YEBOAH-DAME ESQ. (ATTORNEY-GENERAL)

ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH ESQ. (DEPUlY ATTORNEY GENERAL

DIANAH ASONABA DAPAAH ESQ. (DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL)

DR. SYLVIA ADUSU ESQ. (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[2022]DLSC11238
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JUSTICE ABDULAI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA - GHANA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">WRIT NO. Jl/07/2022 &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:
9TH MARCH, 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>PLAINTIFF APPEARED IN PERSON.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

GODFRED YEBOAH-DAME ESQ.
(ATTORNEY-GENERAL), ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH ESQ. (DEPUlY ATTORNEY GENERAL), DIANAH
ASONABA DAPAAH ESQ. (DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL) AND DR. SYLVIA ADUSU ESQ. (CHIEF
STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), AMEGATCHER
JSC, PROF. KOTEY JSC, OWUSU
(MS.) JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON
(MS.) JSC,
HONYENUGA JSC,
KULENDI JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;KULENDI
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>I.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>This
action invokes our original jurisdiction pursuant to Article 2(1)(b) and
130(1)(a) of the Constitution to challenge the constitutionality or otherwise
of recent going-ans in Parliament,&nbsp; one
of the three arms of government, and by implication,&nbsp; the constitutionality or otherwise of one of
Parliament's internal rules for the conduct of its business.<o:p></o:p>We
wish to start by reminding ourselves of the dicta of an illustrious jurist, as
follows:<o:p></o:p>"...
where it is alleged before the Supreme Court that any organ of Government or an
institution is acting in violation of a provision of the Constitution, the Supreme
Court is duty bound by articles 2(1} and 130{1} to exercise jurisdiction,
unless the Constitution has provided a specific remedy... no individual nor
creature of the Constitution is exempted from the enforcement provision of
article 2 thereof. No one is above the law. And no action of any individual or
institution under the Constitution is immune from judicial scrutiny if the
constitutionality of such an action is challenged."<o:p></o:p>Per
Acquah JSC (as he then was) in Martin AlamisiAmidu v. President Kuffour and the
Attorney General(2001-2002) SCGLR 138.<o:p></o:p>II.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>The
antecedents, as presented by the parties, upon which the instant action is
premised are as follows:<o:p></o:p>On
the 26th of November 2021, when Parliament sat to approve the 2022 Budget
Statement, the Minister for Finance requested Parliament to suspend the
approval process of the Budget to give the Executive an opportunity to engage
the parliamentary leadership over the introduction of the Electronic
Transactions Levy (E-Levy) outlined in the Budget. The Speaker subjected the
request for suspension to a voice vote and ruled that those against the prayer
had prevailed over those </main>