Bawa Mogtari ‘resurrects’ Atuguba’s 2018 ‘political judges’ comment

Special aide to former president John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari has revived a video in which law professor Raymond Atuguba speaks on the subject of political leaning of judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana.

On February 16, the former deputy minister posted a one-minute video on Twitter of Atuguba speaking about how judges of the apex court had their political leanings and that these leanings have often found their way into their ruling.

The law lecturer made the claims in 2018 basing his view on a research of rulings given by judges of the court over a period of time. According to him, it was pretentious for people to assume that judges do not have political ideologies that may influence them at crucial moments.

Bawa Mogtari’s tweet was posted on the same day that the Election Petition filed by Mahama was hit by yet another unanimous dismissal when the petitioner’s lawyers applied to reopen their case.

After the last adjournment, spokesman for the petitioner and former deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine made categorical pronouncement about the bench and “a predetermined agenda” to rule against the petitioner.

Dr. Raymond Atuguba!! pic.twitter.com/IeeqRxfMMm

— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) February 16, 2021

Ayine told the media on February 16: “We are contesting even the constitutionality of the declaration that was made. We are saying that she (EC chair) violated article 23 of the Constitution because she’s an administrative body. We have also said her exercise of discretion was contrary to article 296 of the Constitution.

“These are all germane issues under the Constitution and laws of Ghana and to reduce the petition into a single-issue petition, is rather unfortunate and smacks of a predetermined agenda to rule against the petitioner in this matter,” the former Deputy Attorney General lamented.

His comments have roundly been condemned by some private legal practitioners who insist it is scandalizing the top court.

Spokespersons for second respondent have also criticized it even though Ayine insists it was far from slighting the top court.

The seven-member court panel is headed by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, appointed by John Agyekum Kuffuor. Yaw Appau was appointed by Mahama with the remaining five appointed by the current president.