- Kofi Abotsi, Thaddeus Sory, others to dissect Justice Abdulai Vs. A-G
Ghana’s Parliament, under the leadership of its Speaker, Alban S.K Bagbin, will tomorrow, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, host the maiden edition of the Speaker’s Seminal Lecture.
It is under the theme “Parliament, Its Business and the Supreme Court in Perspective”, and comes off at the Accra International Conference Centre at 1pm.
The seminar, will be chaired by Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, Paramount Chief of Essikado with Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Professional Studies Accra delivering the keynote address.
The lecture will seek to stimulate public debate on the concept of separation of powers in the light of the Supreme Court decision in the Justice Abdulai V Attorney-General case, and the applicability of the political question doctrine in Ghana’s jurisprudence.
The apex court on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, ruledthat Deputy Speakers presiding over proceedings in Parliament had the right to vote on matters and to be counted as part of the quorum for decision-making in Parliament.
Those who disagreed with the Supreme Court’s ruling, included the Speaker.
The event will afford key stakeholders and citizens the opportunity to reflect on how Parliament as an institution can navigate these challenges in the current context of a hung Parliament by coming up with key recommendations for consideration and implementation.
The leadership of Parliament, Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers of State, former Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Community, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, political party representatives, the Trade Unions, student leaders and the media, will be present at the event.
The discussants are Thaddeus Sory, Esq a private legal practitioner and Managing Partner, Sory @ Law, Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, a governance expert and Executive Director of Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), and Clara Beri Kassa-Tee, Private Legal Practitioner and Head of Chambers, Kasser Law Firm and lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School.
The Speaker’s seminal forum is part of the Speaker’s initiatives to bring parliament closer to the citizens. The Speaker is also focused on broadening the scope of Parliamentary Legislation reflective of the general composition of the Ghanaian society.
It is the Speaker’s belief that a parliament that is representative and reflective of the aspirations of the Ghanaian public will contribute greatly to our resolve to build a buoyant democracy. It will, in the long run, cement the gains that have been made so far and strongly position parliament to address the many challenges in our democratic dispensation.
Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to participate in the various discussions are cordially invited.
