By Joyce Danso
Accra, Jan. 28, GNA – The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned indefinitely four suits relating to the removal process of former Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
In three of the cases, the apex court ordered the parties to file joint memoranda of issues within two weeks, failing which they would be required to file their memoranda individually.
The cases are Vincent Assifuah versus Attorney-General, Centre for Constitutional Elections versus Attorney-General, and Theodore Kofi Atta Quartey versus Attorney-General.
In the suit titled Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo versus Attorney-General and five others, the parties were absent.
The court, however, struck out the case of Ebenezer Osei Owusu versus Attorney-General for being incompetent.
The court held that the plaintiff filed the writ without a statement of case and failed to seek leave of the court to regularise the processes before it.
“The suit is struck out because it is incompetent… same is struck out without liberty to re-file,” the seven-member panel, presided over by Justice Amadu Tanko, ruled.
The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, who was in court, suggested that the panel considered consolidating the cases, noting that the reliefs being sought were similar.
Vincent Assifuah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, invoked the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to challenge the legality of President John Mahama’s actions in the process leading to the removal of Justice Torkornoo.
The MP is seeking an interpretation of the constitutional provisions governing the removal of a chief justice.
Mr Assifuah contends that the President was required to notify the former Chief Justice and obtain her comments before referring the petition for her removal to the Council of State, as provided for by the Constitution.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
