Fourteen civil society organisations have applied to the Supreme Court to be allowed to join a case challenging the constitutionality of Ghana’s anti-corruption law, the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
They say the case is of significant public importance.
The group filed the application on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in the case of Adamtey v Attorney-General (Suit No. J1/3/2026), which is currently before the Court.
The case seeks to examine key provisions that established the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, May 6, the organisations explained that their request is meant to support the Court’s interpretation of the Constitution and is not motivated by political or personal interests.
“The Applicants take this opportunity to emphasise that their intervention is not partisan, adversarial, or personal to any party before the Court,” the statement said.
“It is motivated solely by a shared commitment to constitutionalism, accountable governance, anti-corruption, institutional integrity, and the preservation of independent public institutions established to serve the Republic.”
The organisations involved include the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Transparency International Ghana, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, IMANI Africa, Democracy Hub, STAR-Ghana Foundation, NORSAAC, Penplusbytes, ACEP, Odekro, A Rocha Ghana, Parliamentary Network Africa, One Ghana Movement, and Africa Education Watch.
According to the group, some of the organisations played direct roles in drafting and advocating for Act 959 before it was passed in 2017, including participating in discussions with Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
They say this prior involvement gives them valuable institutional knowledge that could help the Court better understand and interpret the law.
The organisations are asking to be admitted as amici curiae (friends of the court), which would allow them to offer legal and policy insights without becoming direct parties to the case.
They also praised the Supreme Court for becoming more open to civil society participation in constitutional cases.
“The Court’s openness to structured civil society engagement in constitutional adjudication has, in recent years, enriched the deliberative record before it,” the statement noted, adding that this reflects “a maturing of constitutional practice in Ghana.”
If the Court grants their request, the group says it will provide expertise on comparative anti-corruption standards, institutional analysis, and broader public interest considerations related to the case.
The applicants are represented by a legal team that includes Kizito Beyuo Esq., Oliver Barker-Vormawor Esq., Samson Lardy Anyenini Esq., and Clement Kojo Akapame Esq.
