The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised concerns about the scheduling of political cases in the Supreme Court, accusing the Chief Justice of bias against them.
The party’s alarm stems from the prioritization of the case filed by South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, for hearing, over the case of Richard Dela Sky v. the Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney-General.
According to a statement issued by the NDC on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, it is intriguing that “Richard Dela Sky filed his writ of summons in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024, on the 5th of March 2024. This was almost two (2) clear weeks before Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor filed his writ of summons on 18th March, 2024 challenging the constitutionality of the latest ministerial nominations by the President.”
However, the Chief Justice has scheduled Dafeamekpor’s case for today, Wednesday, March 27, ahead of the Dela Sky matter, which was filed earlier.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC’s General Secretary, noted in a statement that “given the recent political deadlock that these two legal suits have created between the Executive arm and the Legislative arm of government, one would have expected that the date of filing of the cases would have informed the timing of their hearing by the apex Court.”
The statement also alleges that the scheduling of the cases is a tactic by the Head of the Judiciary to support the President’s intention to shelve the anti-LGBTQ bill, which has become a matter of concern in the country.
“It’s quite apparent, that this is a ploy by the Chief Justice to fast-track the determination of the suit filed by Hon. Rockson Dafeamekpor, while the determination of the Richard Dela Sky suit is deliberately and unduly delayed, to enable the President shelve the crucial Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill that has been passed by Parliament,” it added.