STEPHEN KWABENA OPUNI vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE REGISTRAR (HIGH COURT, CRIMINAL DIVISION 1), ACCRA [2022]DLSC11723

STEPHEN KWABENA OPUNI vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE REGISTRAR (HIGH COURT, CRIMIN... [2022]DLSC11723

Date	2022-05-25
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/04/2020
Citation No.	[2022]DLSC11723

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

KOTEY JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS) JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS) JSC

MENSA-BONSU (MRS) JSC

SAMUEL CUDJOE ESQ. WITH HIM JOHNSON NORMESINI ESQ. AND ZEINAB ABDUL AZIZ FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

GODFRED DAME YEBOAH (ATTORNEY-GENERAL) WITH HIM ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH (DEPUPTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL)

UMMU ZAKARI (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) AND LILLY ADDAE MENSAH (SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

[2022]DLSC11723
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >STEPHEN
KWABENA OPUNI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE REGISTRAR<o:p></o:p>(HIGH COURT, CRIMINAL DIVISION 1), ACCRA<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<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;">

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL CUDJOE
ESQ. WITH HIM JOHNSON NORMESINI ESQ. AND ZEINAB ABDUL AZIZ FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<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" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">GODFRED DAME
YEBOAH (ATTORNEY-GENERAL) WITH HIM ALFRED TUAH YEBOAH (DEPUPTY
ATTORNEY-GENERAL), UMMU ZAKARI (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) AND LILLY ADDAE
MENSAH (SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, KOTEY JSC,
OWUSU (MS) JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS) JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS) JSC, MENSA-BONSU
(MRS) 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;line-height:normal;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;MAJORITY OPINION<o:p></o:p>DOTSE JSC:-<o:p></o:p>PROLOGUE:-<o:p></o:p>We begin our decision in this case by referring
extensively to the scholarly work of Prof. Kofi Kumado in his book, “ A Handbook of the Constitutional Law of
Ghana and its History” from pages 282-284 as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“Finally, by
way of emphasis, we note that the position of the Supreme Court on its constitutionality
powers under Article 2 (1) and 130 (1), as it has crystallised since the coming
into force of the 1992 Constitution, has been succinctly summarised by Justice
Akuffo in the Bimpong Buta v General Legal Council &amp; Others, [2003-2004] 2 SCGLR
1206 as follows:-<o:p></o:p>1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
person bringing an action under Article 2 of the Constitution 1992 need not demonstrate that he has any personal
interest in the outcome of the suit, that he as a citizen of Ghana suffices to
entitle him to bring the action (Tufuor v
A.G. [1980] GLR, 637 SC and Sam (No.2) v A.G [2000] SCGLR 305).<o:p></o:p>2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
“person” referred to in the context of Article 2 includes both natural persons and corporate bodies (NPP v A.G. CIBA case, [1996-97] SCGLR 729).<o:p></o:p>3.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
Supreme Court’s power of enforcement under Article 2 of the Constitution, 1992
by exercise of its original jurisdiction, does
not cover the enforcement of the individual’s human rights provisions, that
power by the terms of articles 33 (1) and 130 (1) of the Constitution 1992 is vested exclusively in the High Court (Edusei v A.G, [1998-99] SCGLR 1, Edusei (No.
2) v A.G. [1998-99] SCGLR, 753, Adjei-Ampofo v A.G [2003-2004] SCGLR 411).<o:p></o:p>4.