The Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, confronted prominent lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata over his objection to the AG’s failure to announce himself in court.
According to Asaaseradio.com, the AG retaliated, pointing out Tsikata’s notorious habit of deliberately withholding his own name during court proceedings.
The incident took place during the trial of James Gyakye Quayson at the High Court on Friday, July 14, 2023.
As the Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, announced his presence in court while holding the brief of the Attorney-General, Tsikata concluded his submission, requesting the court to stay proceedings.
He had filed an application at the Court of Appeal, challenging the High Court’s dismissal of his stay of proceedings request.
Additionally, he filed an application for judicial review at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the High Court ruling.
Upon the arrival of Godfred Dame, the Attorney-General, he immediately opposed Tsikata’s application, arguing that there were no substantial grounds to justify staying proceedings based on the pending applications at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Dame emphasized that there existed no legal provision, rule of practice, or precedent that mandated the court to halt proceedings in such circumstances. He further criticized Tsikata for failing to cite any supporting authorities throughout his argument.
In response to the AG’s opposition, Tsikata raised his concern in open court, pointing out that the AG did not announce himself before addressing the court, which deviated from normal practice.
He expressed his hope that the court would not entertain such deviations. However, Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh noted that the AG’s name was already displayed on the screen, rendering Tsikata’s issue moot.
In a counterattack, Godfred Dame expressed his surprise at Tsatsu Tsikata’s complaint regarding the proper announcement of counsel’s presence, highlighting Tsikata’s own consistent violation of court rules by deliberately withholding his name.
Dame pointed out that his presence had been duly recorded and displayed on the screens for all the lawyers present, as acknowledged by the trial judge. Thus, he deemed Tsikata’s complaint baseless.
Justice Yanzuh, taking exception to Tsikata’s reply to the AG’s response, admonished him to be mindful of his language when addressing the court.
Following the exchanges, the judge ruled against Tsikata’s application for a stay of proceedings based on the pending Court of Appeal case, citing the absence of any legal requirement mandating such a stay.
The court also adjourned the ruling on the application for judicial review pending at the Supreme Court to Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
