Supreme Court Rejects Injunction Application Against Parliament’s Approval of Ministerial Nominees
The Supreme Court of Ghana has dismissed an injunction application brought forth by the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, against Parliament’s approval of ministerial nominees by President Akufo-Addo.
In a unanimous decision, the Apex Court deemed Dafeamekpor’s application as frivolous and an abuse of the court process, effectively rejecting his plea to restrain Parliament from vetting and approving new ministers as well as reshuffled ministers appointed by the President.
Mr. Dafeamekpor’s injunction application sought to challenge the constitutionality of President Akufo-Addo’s decision to reshuffle his cabinet, which saw the removal and reassignment of several ministers and deputy ministers on February 14, 2024.
However, during the court proceedings on Wednesday, March 27, both the South Dayi Member of Parliament and his lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, were notably absent.
The proceedings took a compelling turn when the five-member panel, chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, paused the hearing for approximately 10 minutes to verify the details of documents submitted by the court bailiff.
The bailiff reported encountering difficulty in serving court processes to both the Speaker of Parliament (1st defendant) and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor (Plaintiff). According to the bailiff, attempts to deliver a hearing notice and affidavit in opposition documents to Dafeamekpor’s representatives were thwarted due to instructions from his lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, not to accept any service.
After confirming that the Speaker of Parliament had been duly served and that documents had been left at the premises of Dafeamekpor’s law firm, the Chief Justice ordered the continuation of the case.
With the dismissal of the injunction application, Parliament’s approval of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees remains unaffected, marking a significant legal victory for the government and paving the way for the implementation of the reshuffled cabinet.