Voting rights of Deputy Speakers: Bagbin charges plaintiff to go for review after SC ruling

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has urged the applicant of the petition to the Supreme Court for a ruling on the voting rights of a Deputy Speaker, Justice Abdulai to go for a review.

In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court held that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, a Deputy Speaker who happens to be a Member of Parliament does not lose his right to take part in decision making in Parliament when sitting in for the Speaker of the House.

Amid the controversy the ruling has created in recebtly, the Speaker of Parliament has given his take on the matter.

In a post on his Facebook page on Friday, March 11, 2022, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has noted that indeed Parliament is not above the law.

However, just like many Ghanaians, he believes the ruling must be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

As a result, the Speaker has charged the plaintiff in the matter to go for a review from the apex court.

“The impartiality of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Presiding Officer has been treasured and fought for by this country throughout our democratic development.

“Mr President, the issue being discussed is, unfortunately, not about Parliament being above the law. Everyone knows that Parliament is not above the law. The Executive and the Judiciary are equally not above the law.

“The issue being discussed is the political question doctrine. It took centuries to detail out the strands of this doctrine and the principles are settled as to when and how this closed book could be opened. Please, I encourage the Plaintiff to go for a review of the Supreme Court ruling,” a statement on the Facebook page of Alban Bagbin reads.