Audio By Carbonatix
The Supreme Court Judges hearing Ghana's election Petition has queried Tsatsu Tsikata for disrespecting the court order by filing his address late.
Albeit, reluctantly the judges admitted the address, even though it was filed late.
The possibility of the supreme court rejecting the address of Counsel for the NDC in the hearing of Ghana’s Election petition appeared real. But Tsatsu Tsikata has narrowly survived this dire consequence and has been allowed to file his address.
Tsatsu Tsikata was unable to file his address by the deadline set out by the panel of judges hearing the petition. The judges set a Tuesday 30 July deadline after Petitioners and Respondents in the Petition exhausted their arguments during the 46 days of evidence hearing.
The court therefore asked both sides to write down their arguments and present it to the Registry to be served on the judges and parties. This written submission is known as an address.
It was expected that all parties - the Petitioners and Respondents, President Mahama who is first Respondent and the Electoral Commission who is second would have filed their addresses by deadline day.
But surprisingly, the NDC, third respondent could not file theirs with the Registry by close of day Tuesday. They however filed it after 9:00am Wednesday morning before sitting resumed.
Tsatsu Tsikata told a packed court that he takes responsibility for the lateness in serving his client’s address. It was because of a ‘mechanical challenge’ in binding appendices to his address, he explained. He had also “underestimated” the length of time this process of binding would take.
Counsel for the Petitioners Philip Addison insisted that court orders are meant to be obeyed. A point Justice Sophia also reiterated while she addressed Tsikata. Addison described the delay as “communist inferior tactics”. He said in the least, the third Respondent should have notified the court through a formal application in view of the delay.
The panel of judges in their ruling said the orders of the highest court of the land were not to be taken lightly. But they conceded that “the act that caused the delay was for the benefit of the court”. Justice Atuguba, presiding judge of the panel, reading the ruling said “the sins of counsel must not be visited on his client”. The court therefore permitted the filing of the address.
The court also set August 7th 2013 to listen to a final oral submission of the parties based on their addresses.
The Election Petition hearing is challenging the declaration of President Mahama as the winner of the 2012 presidential election. It has been brought by three Petitioners from the opposition NPP. They are Nana Akufo-Addo, flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice-presidential candidate, and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, National Chairman of the party.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Amazon eyes Ghana for broadband expansion after talks with Mahama
3 minutes -
National Investment Quiz 2026: Six schools qualify for quarter-finals
31 minutes -
‘Do not let Russia pay for its madness with lives of your people’ – Zelensky to Ghana, 46 other countries
37 minutes -
6,079 promotion cases fully processed and paid – CAGD says amid nationwide teachers’ strike
57 minutes -
Teacher unions to meet government Monday over nationwide strike
1 hour -
Photo story: Republic Bank-JoyNews Habitat Fair clinic wraps up after three days of housing solutions, expert engagement
1 hour -
National Peace Council urges investment in youth to sustain Ghana’s peace
2 hours -
Afenyo-Markin urges youth to speak up against injustice
2 hours -
CAF annuls Edo Queens victory, orders WAFU B final to resume from extra time
2 hours -
Interior Minister urges traditional authorities to enforce anti-bushfire bye-laws
2 hours -
3rd Republic Bank-JoyNews Habitat Fair Clinic ends on a high note after three days of strong patronage
2 hours -
Ten climbers missing after avalanche hits Himalayan base camp
3 hours -
NPP had more permanent fuel relief measures than current GH¢2 diesel cut – Amin Adam
3 hours -
Photos from the 3rd Republic Bank-JoyNews Habitat Fair Clinic
3 hours -
Ethiopia’s army promises restraint amid fears of new civil war
3 hours