Chief Justice Defends Expedited Hearing Process for MP's Injunction Application

In a recent development, Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo defended the swift handling of an application by Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, seeking to restrain Parliament from approving certain Minister designates. Addressing inquiries from the Judicial Press Corps, Justice Torkornoo affirmed that expediting the injunction application was justified, given its readiness for hearing.

Justice Torkornoo clarified that upon the submission of the application, both the Attorney-General and the applicant had filed their respective processes, rendering the case ripe for hearing. Consequently, the court issued hearing notices, ensuring all relevant parties were served and present for the proceedings.

However, criticisms arose following the Supreme Court's subsequent dismissal of Mr. Dafeamekpor's application. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) questioned the prioritization of this case over others, including the case of Richard Dela Sky v. Parliament of Ghana and the Attorney-General.

Responding to these criticisms, Justice Torkornoo elucidated that the expedited hearing was in line with efforts to streamline case proceedings, particularly for interim applications. This approach aimed to prevent parties from futilely appearing in court when cases were not ripe for hearing.

Under this new procedure, once an application is filed and served, the responding party has 14 days to reply. However, if the response is expedited, the application becomes ripe for immediate hearing, obviating the need to wait for the full 14-day period.

The Chief Justice's explanation sheds light on the court's commitment to efficiency and fairness in the adjudication process, ensuring timely resolution of legal matters without unnecessary delays.