DAASEBRE ASARE BAAH III AND OTHERS vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION []DLSC2528

DAASEBRE ASARE BAAH III AND OTHERS vs. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND THE ELECTORAL CO... []DLSC2528

Date
Suit No.
Citation No.	[]DLSC2528

WOOD (MRS) CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

OWUSU (MS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

ANIN YEBOAH JSC

AKWASI BOSOMPEM FOR THE PLAINTIFFS.

CLARENCE KUWORNU FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

MR. DABI FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

[]DLSC2528
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DAASEBRE ASARE BAAH III
AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/8/2009&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 18TH FEBRUARY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AKWASI BOSOMPEM FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS.<o:p></o:p>CLARENCE KUWORNU FOR THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL.<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">

MR.
DABI FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<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">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">WOOD
(MRS) CJ (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, OWUSU (MS) JSC, DOTSE JSC, ANIN YEBOAH 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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>WOOD
(MRS), CJ:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Supreme Court’s exclusive power of
judicial review of legislative action is exercisable under articles 2(1) and
130 (1) (b) of the 1992 Constitution. By these articles, this court has
exclusive original jurisdiction in “all matters arising as to whether an
enactment was made in excess of the powers conferred on Parliament or any other
authority or person by law or under this Constitution.”<o:p></o:p>Article
1 (2), which unambiguously asserts the supremacy of the constitution as the
fundamental law of the land provides:<o:p></o:p>“(2) The
Constitution shall be the supreme law of Ghana and any other law found to be
inconsistent with any provision of this Constitution shall, to the extent of
the inconsistency, be void.”<o:p></o:p>Again,
articles 2 (1) (b) and 130 of the constitution state: <o:p></o:p>2 (1) A
person who alleges that -<o:p></o:p>(a)
an enactment or anything contained in or done under the authority of that or
any other enactment; or<o:p></o:p>(b)
any act or omission of any person; is inconsistent with, or is in contravention
of a provision of this Constitution, may bring an action in the Supreme Court
for a declaration to that effect.<o:p></o:p>130.(1)
Subject to the jurisdiction of the High Court in the enforcement of the
Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms as provided in article 33 of this
Constitution, the Supreme Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in-<o:p></o:p>(a)
all matters relating to the enforcement or interpretation of this Constitution.<o:p></o:p>(b)
all matters arising as to whether an enactment was made in excess of the powers
conferred on Parliament or any other authority or person by law or under this
Constitution.”<o:p></o:p>In this action, the Plaintiffs, who are Paramount
Chiefs and sub-Chiefs, on behalf of themselves, communities and traditional
areas of Worawora, Bowiri, Apesokubi, Tapa and Nkonya, all in the Volta Region,
invoke this original jurisdiction for a number of reliefs, two of which are
declaratory in nature. They read:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .75in">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“A declaration that the purported declaration by
the President of Ghana of a Biakoye District by E.I. 11 of 2007 is a nullity in
law by reason of failure by the President to direct the Electoral Commission to
conduct a study and also to receive the findings and recommendations of such a
study for his consideration before declaring the said new District in breach of
Section 1 of the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462).<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.75in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .75in">ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the L.I purporting to establish
a Biakoye District Assembly together with naming of Nkonya Ahenkro as the
capital is a nu</main>