Gertrude Torkornoo is the Chief Justice
The Supreme Court has faced significant backlash on X after dismissing Alban Bagbin’s application to overturn a ruling that suspended his declaration regarding four parliamentarians.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo described the indefinite suspension of Parliament as a constitutional crisis, reaffirming the court’s earlier ruling and deeming the Speaker’s application without merit.
However, many netizens have expressed concerns over the Supreme Court’s handling of the vacant seats controversy.
Critics argue that the Supreme Court has failed to address the pressing issue of why the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe (SALL) have been disenfranchised and unrepresented in Parliament for four years.
Instead, the netizens said, the apex court rather seems more focused on the declaration of four vacant seats just weeks before the elections.
They believe that the priority of the Chief Justice is misplaced.
This has caused SALL to trend on X for Friday, November 1, 2024.
About the ruling of the Supreme Court:
The apex court of Ghana threw out the application of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in the matter of the vacation of some four seats in Parliament.
Reading the ruling of the 5-member Supreme Court panel, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo said that contrary to other assertions that it does not have jurisdiction over such a matter, it rather does.
She added that any person who does not comply with the order of the Supreme Court has committed a crime.
The CJ also said that the Supreme Court did no wrong in exercising its discretionary power in the matter before it.
She also indicated that the Speaker of Parliament’s interpretation of Article 97 was not just against 4 Members of Parliament, but tens of thousands of Ghanaians.
Bagbin’s lawyer has asked the Supreme Court to set aside “the processes and proceedings in the Supreme Court” that led to the directive of the 5-member panel of the court, chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, for him to stay his declaration of the seats vacant.
The lawyers also asked for the “vacating of the order of the Court dated October 18, 2024.”
Here are some tweets under the trending topic below:
The SC in the Afenyo case is telling us they’re concerned about protecting the rights of the constituents, but why did this same court injunct Gyakye Quayson and same court ignored the rights of the constituents of SALL? Logically, it’s clear SC is doing politics with Afenyo case
— #StopGalamseyNow (@ghanamunsemsem_) November 1, 2024
The Supreme court is not aware of the people of SALL who have been without representation in parliament for close to 4yrs now but worried about 4 MP’s not representing their people for 3 months is a massive problem. What a country
Unanimous FC h..mm pic.twitter.com/WSOnGamxhk— Mahama 2024 (@CitizenTechiman) October 30, 2024
The rights of some citizens are more important than others? It’s OK for some citizens to be without an MP for 4 years, but others can’t be without an MP for 3 months? Auntie Getty and your team, please come again. SALL on my mind.#SupremCourt pic.twitter.com/hqYGvB2Uv4
— Kwame Dwomoh Agyeman (@dwomohkwame1) October 31, 2024
FEW HOURS AGO..!!
According to the Chief Justice, the constituents of the 4 MPs are more Ghanaians — infact more humans — than the Guan (SALL) people.
If you will still not vote wisely, its your cup of tea. pic.twitter.com/iiLi0y43Ap
— MPK 𓃵 (@MPKwarteng_) October 30, 2024
SALL has been left without a voice for 4 years.
Fomena was left without a voice for 3 months. CJ🙄— General Marcus! (@marcusadampah) October 30, 2024
SC:
The four constituencies are made up of 100s of thousands of Ghanaians who queued to elect members of parliament. Therefore by declaring they’ve vacated their seat, the speaker was enforcing the interpretation of article 99(1)(g) against the constituents… which is wrong …— Seth Doe Esq (@seth_doe22) October 30, 2024
The lives of those 4 constituents who were allegedly going to be denied representation for about 80days matter to the SC more than those of SALL that never got represented for 1460 days? Legal plunder! Gangster system! See why 65% of Ghanaians distrust the SC?
— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) October 30, 2024
SALL were without representation for 4 years…
SALL are Ghanaians…
SC #SupremeCourt pic.twitter.com/Dg0ZtQru0s— Enam 🚨 (@EnamKem) October 30, 2024
Don’t get it twisted SALL is part of Buem constituency for now. That is a fact.
— krobea Kwabena Asante (@krobea_k_asante) October 30, 2024
So the rights of some citizens are more important than others? It’s OK for some citizens to be without an MP for 4 years, but others can’t be without an MP for 3 months? If citizens from SALL can be left without an MP for 4 yrs, then why can’t others be without an MP for 3 moths?
— Sulemana Braimah (@sulemana) October 31, 2024
The SC in the Afenyo case is telling us they’re concerned about protecting the rights of the constituents, but why did this same court injunct Gyakye Quayson and same court ignored the rights of the constituents of SALL? Logically, it’s clear SC is doing politics with Afenyo case
— #StopGalamseyNow (@ghanamunsemsem_) November 1, 2024
I am of the belief many do not appreciate the processess that led to the EC disenfranchising people of 4 communities commonly known as SALL
SALL was allowed to vote in 2020 Presidential elections but not Parliamentary. If people knew what caused that, the anger will be palpable
— Austine Woode (@obiMpenaAustine) October 31, 2024
MAG/AE
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