Your constant attack on the Judiciary is ‘deplorable' – Dame tells Mahama

The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame has chided the former President, John Dramani Mahama for his recent attack on the Judiciary describing the same as ‘deplorable’

He noted that it was dismaying and embarrassing to have heard a person who has occupied the highest office of the state as a former president launch such unwarranted attacks on the judiciary.

“Such conduct is clearly deplorable, coming from one who has occupied the highest office of President and aspires again to that office.”

Speaking at a gathering of NDC Lawyers on August 28, 2022, former President Mahama noted that it will take a new Chief Justice to repair the broken image of the Judiciary.

To him, the current leadership of the Judiciary headed by the current Chief Justice does not have what it takes to redeem the sunken image of the organ.

He noted further that Ghana’s current Judiciary has become an item of ridicule and mistrust.

However, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Annual Bar Conference at Ho on the theme; ‘Ghana’s Democracy under the 4th Republic: Gains, Challenges and prospects,” Mr. Dame, further to his expression of dismay at the Former President’s statement, noted that Judiciary has shown consistently that it is the last line of defense for our country.

Also, he mentioned that his dismay is founded more on the fact that he is a lawyer and every lawyer ought to be concerned about these kinds of views expressed by a political leader in this country.

Mr. Dame, irrespective of the above, commended former leaders of the NDC like JJ Rawlings and Prof Mills especially whom he noted did not recall any event at which he mounted such a systematic and deliberate campaign of hate against the Judiciary.

Additionally, the AG said that on close examination, it seems clear that the source of the former President’s unjustified attacks on the Judiciary is the unanimous dismissal by the Supreme Court of his rather porous election petition which he described as dead on arrival.

Moreover, Mr. Dame in reiterating the above described the NDC’s 2021 election petition as “a bundle of incompetent claims devoid of any substance” and that the allegations of “wrong aggregation of votes” and “vote padding,” which he put before the Court, collectively involved only 6,622 votes, a figure which could not in any way affect the outcome of the presidential election.

He thus wondered how if such a petition is dismissed by the Court, it should form the basis for allegations of unfair treatment by the Court.

Also, he faulted lawyers who were present at the function for not raising a finger to contest the wrong and dangerous propaganda by the former president.

He thus noted that the above situation is worrying since lawyers ought to be the loudest and strongest defenders of the independence, integrity, and importance of the Judiciary rather than serving as tools for its destruction.

Despite his disagreement, the Attorney General commended the former president for his contribution to the debate on the need for constitutional reform noting that his views on the need to amend article 71 on the payment of emoluments to certain officeholders are of interest to him even though he(the former president) has been enjoying those same facilities and privileges for over 20 years and continues to enjoy them. 

The opening Ceremony of the Annual Bar Conference ongoing at Ho also had in attendance, the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, Justice Jones Dotse, Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, Justices of the Superior Courts, etc.