Don’t bring God into court matters- EC Counsel to Tsikata for quoting Biblical verses

Counsel for the petitioner John Dramani Mahama in the ongoing election petition on Monday implored the Supreme Court Justices to be guided by their conscience and their sworn judicial oath.

The lead counsel, Tsatsu Tsikata, who appears to have come to court with an overflow of Sunday’s anointing, in his argument for re-opening of their case said the nine-member review panel should have these two principles as their guide.

“I would like to end my submission pointing to the fact that, my Lords, should decide with your conscience and the judicial oath you took.

“For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind,” Mr Tsikata quoted a scripture from Prophet Hosea.

The message of Hosea 8:7, quoted by Mr Tsikata, has been noted in modern times for its use in many speeches.

The proverb depicts an illustration gleaned from the agricultural process of sowing and reaping.

Per the scripture, a farmer may sow a seed and the type of seed he planted may bear fruits — the principal of duplication and multiplication.

The petitioner’s legal team is therefore urging the justices to sow the right seed by allowing them reopen their case, failure to do that may create a harvest of wrongs that will trickle down to many generations.

Counsel for the first respondent (Electoral Commission) Justin Amenuvor, on the other hand said the matter before the court was not one that required quoting biblical jargons but rather legal jargons.

Mr Amenuvor said indeed God is the God of conscience but should not be called under these circumstances.

“God is a God of conscience, you do not bring God into the court and say because of God the application should be granted,” EC Counsel said in response to Mr Tsikata.

Among other things, Mr Tsikata said the seven-member panel who dismissed their re-opening application erred fundamentally and committed a great miscarriage of justice.

It was the case of Mr Tsikata that the earlier panel in their ruling failed to make reference to the statues of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.

He said the panel rather resorted to foreign laws, including that of Netherlands and Black’s Law dictionary.

Monday’s hearing comes after the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision dismissed an application for reopening brought by the petitioner John Mahama.

Earlier ruling of the court

The Supreme Court, in an unanimous decision tossed out the request to allow the petitioner John Dramani Mahama in the ongoing election petition re-open his case.

Among other things, the seven member panel presided over by the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah said the petitioner’s legal team have not demonstrated any new evidence, in its argument for re-opening.

The court also maintained that the plaintiff or petitioner (John Mahama) must not rely on the evidence from the respondents (Electoral Commission and Nana Akufo-Addo) as its strength.

Justice Anin Yeboah reiterated that the team have also not furnish the court with the new evidence, it wishes to bring to bear through the testimony of the EC Chairperson.

It was of the opinion that the petitioner had decided to close its case based on the evidence they had provided through their three witnesses.

Aside from the CJ, the other panel members are Yaw Apau, Samuel K. Marful Sau, Nene Amegathcher, Professor Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu and Gertrude Torkornoo.

The apex court is yet to make a determination of the matter.

Two additional justices, Imoro Tanko and Henrietta Mensa Bonsu were added to expand the panel, to hear the review application.