{"id":1236750,"date":"2022-10-27T22:07:17","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T22:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/10\/27\/i-wasnt-served-speaker-takes-on-supreme-court-over-cannabis-judgment\/"},"modified":"2022-10-27T22:07:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T22:07:17","slug":"i-wasnt-served-speaker-takes-on-supreme-court-over-cannabis-judgment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/10\/27\/i-wasnt-served-speaker-takes-on-supreme-court-over-cannabis-judgment\/","title":{"rendered":"I wasn\u2019t served \u2013 Speaker takes on Supreme Court over cannabis judgment"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has faulted the Supreme Court for delivering judgment in a matter the legislature was a party to but not heard.<\/p>\n

According to Mr Bagbin, he \u201chad no knowledge about the suit.\u201d<\/p>\n

He made this comment in Parliament on Thursday, October 27, 2022.<\/p>\n

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In July 2022, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the law on granting licence to grow cannabis, popularly known as \u2018wee\u2019 in small quantities for industrial and medicinal purposes. <\/p>\n

Section 43 of Act 1019 of the Narcotics Commission Act stipulates that \u201cthe Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as \u2018wee\u2019 in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the Apex court in a 4-3 majority decision on July 28 annulled Section 43 of Act 1019 and declared that it is a violation of Article 106 of the 1992 constitution.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Supreme Court strikes out law on cultivation of \u2018wee\u2019 in Ghana<\/strong><\/p>\n

Supreme Court on why it struck out licence to grow cannabis<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the Speaker has faulted the court saying although Parliament was a party to the suit, they were not granted hearing on the matter.<\/p>\n

He insists that the fact the ruling affected portions of the law is what even makes the implications dire.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet, judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court in which a section of a law we passed was struck out as unconstitutional. If the Speaker is a party to a suit, at least the Speaker should be served. There was no service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Justices who ruled for the majority decision were; Justices Jones Dotse, Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi while Justices Nene Amegatcher, Prof Nii Ashie Kotey and Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu disagreed.<\/p>\n

The case was brought before the Apex Court by one Ezuame Mannan against the Attorney-General.<\/p>\n

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