Occupy ‘Julorbi’ house demo: SC to rule on application challenging police injunction

A member of the pressure group, Democracy Hub, Benjamin Akuffo-Darko, is challenging the legality of the injunction secured by the Ghana Police Service in September 2023 against their planned ‘Occupy Julorbi House’ demonstration.

The applicant argues that the Ghana Police Service violated the notice and hearing rule by refusing to notify them of their pending injunction application at the High Court.

Thus, he is seeking the apex court panel presided over by Tanko JSC, consisting of Kulendi, Ackah-Yensu, Gaewu, and Asare JJSC, to make a declaration in that regard.

In the wake of the three-day planned demonstration by the group, scheduled from September 21 to 23, 2023, the Ghana Police Service announced that it had secured an injunction against the demonstration and thus urged the public to ignore calls on them to assemble for the said protest.

“The Police have filed an application at the court and successfully served the organizers of a group identifying itself as Democracy Hub in connection with a planned demonstration within the vicinity of the Jubilee House from Thursday, 21st to Saturday, 23rd September 2023,” the police said in the statement signed by Superintendent Juliana Obeng of the Public Affairs Unit.

Even though the protestors still hit the streets to protest, they argue that they were made to find a different route by the Ghana Police Service.

Appearing before the Supreme Court on February 20, 2024, to move the application, counsel for the group, Oliver Barker-Vormawor noted that even though the injunction hearing was adjourned to November 22, 2023, his side was not notified nor served appropriately, and thus called on their Lordships to heed their prayer by declaring the same as unconstitutional.

Since the other parties were not present in court, their Lordships, after hearing the motion, adjourned to March 5, 2024, for a ruling.