[Full Judgement] Supreme Court ruling restraining James Quayson as MP

In a majority judgment, the Supreme Court barred James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself as a representative of the Assin North constituency in parliament.

In a 5-2 judgment delivered on Wednesday, 13 April 2022, the apex court declared that the MP could no longer fulfil parliamentary duties until the substantive case against him was resolved at the lower court.

This decision was taken in a petition brought before the Supreme Court by Michael Ankomah Nimfah, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region.

The petitioner insisted Mr Quayson was not qualified to contest the Assin North parliamentary seat at the time of filing his nomination.

He argued that the MP owed allegiance to another country other than Ghana.

Mr Ankomah Nimfah, by the petition, sought the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 94 (2) (a) of the 1992 Constituency.

The apex court, per the majority decision, said restraining Mr Quayson for a few weeks for the substantive case to be determined “will not occasion any irreparable loss or damage to applicant or anyone.”

Find below details of the full judgement delivered by Justices Jones Dotse, presiding, with Agnes Dordzie, Nene Amegatcher, Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, as panel members.