‘We accept the ruling for now’ – Oppong Nkrumah lawyers after Supreme Court defeat
Lawyers for Ofoase-Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah say they will abide by the Supreme Court's decision rejecting his bid to suspend selected criminal trials during Ghana's legal vacation, while they study the court's detailed reasoning.
Lawyers for Ofoase-Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah say they will accept the Supreme Court's ruling rejecting his application to suspend selected criminal trials during Ghana's legal vacation.
Lead counsel Frank Davies said the legal team would study the court's full reasoning before advising the MP on the next step.
“For now, we will abide by the ruling of the court,” Mr Davies told the media after the decision.
The Supreme Court dismissed Mr Oppong Nkrumah's injunction application, which sought to restrain selected High Court judges directed by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to sit during the legal vacation.
The legal vacation runs from 1 August to 30 September.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah's lawyers had asked the Supreme Court to suspend the hearings pending determination of a substantive suit in which the MP is challenging constitutional aspects of the Chief Justice's directive.
In his ruling, Justice Gabriel Pwamang said the warrants issued by the Chief Justice formed part of efforts to ensure that criminal cases were heard expeditiously.
The ruling means the affected courts can continue hearing the selected criminal cases while the substantive constitutional case remains pending.
Mr Davies said the lawyers had applied for a certified true copy of the ruling from the court registrar.
He said the legal team wanted to examine the detailed reasoning before determining how to proceed.
“When the ruling is handed to us, we shall read it in detail, consider the reasoning of the court, and appropriately
advise our client,” he said.
Mr Davies also rejected the idea that lawyers should condemn judges when court decisions go against their clients.
“It is not our place as lawyers to condemn the judge. We can only critique the decision,” he said.
He said the legal team would not use language commonly employed by some lawyers when expressing dissatisfaction with court decisions.
The Supreme Court's decision concerns the interim application brought by Mr Oppong Nkrumah. The broader constitutional questions raised in his substantive suit have yet to be determined.
The case therefore remains significant beyond Friday's injunction ruling, as the Supreme Court is still expected to consider the constitutional issues surrounding the Chief Justice's warrants.
For now, however, the selected criminal proceedings can continue during the legal vacation.
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