By Prince Ahenkorah
The Judiciary of Ghana, has pledged to deal with all election-related matters that are brought before the court during and after the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, as would be done under the strict guidance of the provisions made in the new Manual on Election Adjudication; the 5th edition.
This was made known in a press release dated October 22, 2024, issued by the Communications Department of the Judicial Service of Ghana.
According to them, a dialogue session with a Group of Eminent Persons from the Christian Council of Ghana in Accra, the Chief Justice of the Republic; Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude SackeyTorkornoo, together with members of the Elections Management Committee of the Judiciary chaired by His Lordship Paul Baffoe Bonnie JSC, and the Judicial Secretary; Her Ladyship Justice Cyra Pamela C.A. Koranteng JA, assured Ghanaians of the Courts’ readiness to swiftly deal with all election-related cases in accordance with the law and as per the guidelines provided in the new Manual on Election Adjudication.
The Chairman of the Elections Management Committee of the Judiciary, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe Bonnie of the Supreme Court, highlighted key activities undertaken since the Chief Justice constituted the Committee in the 2023/2024 Legal Year to oversee the Judiciary’s preparations for the 2024 General Elections.
He listed the key activities of the Elections Management Committee of the Judiciary, stating that they have produced the fifth (5th) edition of the Manual on Election Adjudication, which is due to be launched, and have hosted and participated in stakeholder engagements aimed at enhancing election adjudication, with specific reference to providing timelines for parliamentary election disputes.
The release indicated that engagements were held with groups such as the National Peace Council, the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), international and national election observers, the Electoral Commission, and political party representatives, and recommendations were made to the Rules of Court Committee and the Attorney-General.
The Judiciary highlighted that they have furthermore conducted nationwide training to build the capacity of Magistrates and High Court Judges who, according to Regulation 21 (1) of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91), are required to act as District Registration Review Officers (DRROs) and Chief Registration Review Officers (CRROs) during the limited registration and exhibition of the voter’s register.
Again, members of the Committee visited the Regions to supervise the activities of the DRROs and CRROs after the exhibition of the voters’ register exercise by the Electoral Commission, all in a bid to provide a credible register.
They affirmed that members of the Committee toured the nation to orient and train judges on the duties of the Courts before, during, and after Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
The statement further highlighted that the Committee will soon launch the Manual, conduct intensive training for Superior Court Judges, sensitize the public, and continue to engage stakeholders.
The 5th Election Manual
The fifth edition, unlike its predecessors, has been published in three volumes (unlike the earlier editions since the initial production in 2008). The segregation has become necessary, acknowledging the growth of the law and the variety of stakeholders who would have different uses for the information contained therein.
Volume 1 of the Manual encapsulates general guidelines and considerations a party to a Presidential or Parliamentary dispute should consider in terms of capacity, jurisdiction, and procedure.
Volume 2 is a compendium of election-related laws, including the necessary statutory forms.
Volume 3 is a digest of cases that provide insights into how the superior courts have dealt with previous cases, including constitutional interpretations provided by the Supreme Court.
The Manual includes a whole chapter on the strides being made by the Judiciary to improve timelines for the adjudication of election-related disputes, detailing various papers and roadmaps to guide stakeholder/public discourse to get the necessary institutional and statutory reforms implemented.
It also contains recent decisions from the High Court on the Parliamentary election disputes arising out of the 2020 General Elections.
This volume has referenced all the cases consulted as Judges made their decisions on these disputes to serve as further reference materials for practitioners.
The release further asserted that the Immediate Past Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, sought audience with Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice, to acquaint themselves with the Judiciary’s preparedness for the 2024 election.
According to the leader of the delegation, the Christian Council of Ghana constituted the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), made up of “religious leaders from various faiths across Ghana who have come together to promote peace, unity, and stability through high-level engagements before, during, and after elections in 2024.”
The Group described the session with the leadership of the Judiciary and its team members as ‘very informative and fruitful’ and promised to carry the message and concerns of the Judiciary across as it engages all others who have a major stake in the forthcoming national elections.
The Chief Justice entreated all to have full confidence in the judicial arm of government, with the assurance that “the Judiciary has its structures in place.”
She added that “Ghana’s Judiciary is a very prepared one, independent, and would never do anything to derail the peace of the country.”
