Counsel for the Speaker of Parliament, Thaddeus Sory, formally requested that Supreme Court Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu recuse himself from the case involving the Speaker’s decision to vacate four parliamentary seats.
Mr Sory raised concerns about Justice Gaewu’s prior ties to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting potential bias at the hearing on Wednesday, October 30.
The lawyer stated that Justice Gaewu previously ran as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the NPP in the Volta Region.
The call for recusal arose during intense courtroom arguments, sparked by Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame’s challenge to specific portions of the Speaker’s affidavit—particularly paragraphs 21 and 49, which he labelled “scandalous.”
These paragraphs discuss the political ramifications of the Speaker’s decision, with the Attorney General arguing they could jeopardize the case’s legal integrity.
This case has garnered significant attention due to its implications for parliamentary representation and judicial oversight, testing the balance of power between Ghana’s legislative and judicial branches.
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Torkonoo, is expected to rule on the recusal motion and other critical arguments later today.