GHANA CENTER FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT & 8 ORS vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2023]DLSC16006

Date	2023-05-31
Suit No.	WRIT NO. J1/01/2021
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC16006

AMEGATCHER JSC (PRESIDING)

PROF. KOTEY JSC

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

MARTIN L. KPEBU ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.

JONATHAN ACQUAH (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE DEFENDANT

WITH DIANA ASONABA DAPAAH (DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL)

ANITA OSEI (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY)

NICOLA AKU SHIKA ALLOTEY (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY) LED BY GODFRED YEBOAH DAME (ATTORNEY-GENERAL).

[2023]DLSC16006
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GHANA CENTER FOR DEMOCRATIC
DEVELOPMENT &amp; 8 ORS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

WRIT NO. J1/01/2021&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;&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: 31ST MAY 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>MARTIN
L. KPEBU ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>AMEGATCHER
JSC (PRESIDING), PROF. KOTEY JSC, OWUSU (MS.) JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC, TORKORNOO
(MRS.) JSC, PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC, KULENDI JSC&nbsp;&nbsp; <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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;AMEGATCHER
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>The plaintiffs are civil society organisations
(CSOs) respectively incorporated under the laws of Ghana. The plaintiffs issued
the present writ on the&nbsp;&nbsp; 26th day
of October 2020, invoking the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court under articles 2 (1) and 130 (1) of the Constitution for the
interpretation and enforcement of articles 70 (1) (b) and 71(1), 187 (3), (5),
(7) (a), (8), (12), and (13) and Article 297(a) of the Constitution 1992, of
Ghana. The writ, in effect, questions the constitutionality of a directive
issued from the office of the Presidency, requesting the Auditor-General to
proceed on his accumulated leave with immediate effect and subsequent
appointment or designation of Johnson Akuamoah Aseidu as Acting Auditor-General.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiffs are seeking the following reliefs
per their writ:<o:p></o:p>a)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A Declaration
that on a true and proper interpretation of Articles 70(1)(b), 71(1), 187(3),
(5), (7)(a), (8), (12) and 297(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the directive
issued by or on behalf of the President on or between 29th June 2020
and 3rd July, 2020 instructing the Auditor-General to proceed on
“accumulated” leave with effect from 1st July, 2020 for a prescribed
number of days determined by the President, are void and of no legal effect,
because the said directives are inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the
aforementioned provisions of the Constitution as they improperly interfere with
the independence and functions of the Auditor-General.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;b)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A Declaration
that the purported appointment or designation by or on behalf of the President
on 30th June 2020 of one Mr Johnson Akuamoah Aseidu as “Acting
Auditor-General” is void and of no legal effect, as the said appointment stands
contrary to Articles 70(1)(b), 187(3) and (7) of the 1992 Constitution as well
as the Second Schedule to the Constitution.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;