A member of the United Party (UP), Solomon Owusu, has reacted to the recent petition sent to the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe‑Bonnie, challenging directives on court sittings during vacation.

Speaking on a panel discussion on August 15, 2026, on Joy Prime, he claimed that after reading the petition, he realised that it was filled with references to traditions and conventions rather than being grounded in law.

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To buttress his point, Owusu cited the Constitution and referenced CI 47, Order 79, while explaining that the Chief Justice has the authority to appoint any day or issue warrants to judges to sit on vacations.

"The Ghana Bar Association issued a statement, but they were not talking law. They referred to traditions and conventions, yet conventions and traditions cannot supersede laws. CI 47 Order 79. That is why I always prefer to refer directly to that document," he said.

"...Any law that is so ambiguous to the ordinary man is not a law, because the law is meant to regulate human beings. It must be clear and understood by every ordinary person on the street. Do not let anybody confuse you," he added.

Owusu further added that the Association must consist of lawyers who speak based on constitutional rules and orders, and act strictly in accordance with what the law prescribes.

He said: "The GBA is supposed to be made up of lawyers who must understand the law. When they speak, they rely on Rule Four, and listen to what Rule Four says: subject to Rule One, whatever is said must be subjected to what is stated therein. Order 7, Rule One states that the following shall be observed in the High Court during vacations.

"...So, if the Chief Justice directs or issues a warrant that some cases must go on during the vacation, no law under the sun can override that."

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He stated that upon reading the petition, he was scandalised, insisting that it was filled with references to conventions and traditions rather than grounded in law.

"I was very surprised to hear that people made up of lawyers wrote a petition to the Chief Justice based on convention and not on law. They said the decision of the Chief Justice must be withdrawn. I was scandalised," Owusu remarked.

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