Voting right of Deputy Speakers: Applying for SC review will make no sense-Sam Okudzeto
Since the Supreme Court’s judgment was delivered on March 9, 2022, various personalities have on different occasions, called on the plaintiff to go for a review.
An astute lawyer and a member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto has waded into the call on the plaintiff, Justice Abdulai to go for a review of the Supreme Court decision that has cleared Deputy Speakers of Parliament to vote while presiding in the House.
Speaking on the Big Bulletin on Assase radio, he admitted that Plaintiff, Justice Abdulai has the right to go for a review, however, it is the ordinary bench that will sit on the review with only two more Justices being added thus described such a move as a waste of time and will make no sense.
Since the Supreme Court’s judgment was delivered on March 9, 2022, several personalities and dignitaries have on various fora called on the plaintiff to go for a review of the judgment.
Key among them is the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.
The Plaintiff's Case
Plaintiff's case was that it was unconstitutional for the 1st Deputy Speaker to have been counted to make up the quorum of half of the Members of Parliament as required under Article 104(1) of the Constitution. The Plaintiff wanted the Supreme Court to, amongst others, declare that:
"to the extent that a Member of Parliament presiding over Parliamentary sitting cannot be counted as part of the Members of Parliament present, that Member cannot be counted as part of decision making in Parliament, and as a result of the decision made to approve the 2022 Budget on 30 November 2021, amounts to a nullity and is of no effect."
