Deputy Speakers of Parliament have voting right – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that Deputy Speakers of Parliament have the right to vote in decision making while presiding over proceedings in the House.

In a unanimous decision, the apex court, presided over by a seven-member panel led by Justice Jones Dotse held that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution, a Deputy Speaker who is a member of Parliament does not lose his right to take part in decision making in Parliament.

The decision comes after a lawyer cum law lecturer, Justice Abdulai, petitioned the court to declare as unconstitutional, First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu’s action of counting himself for the purposes of quorum during the decision to overturn the 2022 budget which had earlier been rejected and thrown out by the Minority side.

Justice Abdulai was of the view that once a deputy speaker who is an MP presides over as Speaker, he loses his right to vote.

But the Supreme Court has dismissed that application and ruled that any Deputy Speaker of Parliament can participate in voting while in the Chair.