Chief Justice launches manual on election adjudication

The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has launched a revised edition of a manual that serves as a guide on the adjudication of electoral disputes in the country.

Known as the Manual on Election Adjudication in Ghana, it is produced by the Judicial Service, and had been launched in every electoral year since 2008.

It is a one-stop shop for everything related to the laws and regulations of elections in the country, housing the compendium of all electoral laws, decided cases on electoral disputes, the rules of procedure adopted by the courts in adjudicating electoral disputes, as well as the processes involved in instituting legal actions over elections.

The revised edition, which is the fifth edition, is unique, as it comprises three volumes, with each volume dealing with a specific area relating to election adjudication.

Most importantly, the new edition also includes proposals and recommendations by civil society organisations (CSOs), the Electoral Commission, the Judiciary, and other stakeholders on how to improve election adjudication in the country, especially how to expedite Parliamentary Election disputes.

Present at the launch were the two Deputy Chairpersons of the EC - Dr Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey  members of the diplomatic corps, CSOs, judges and traditional leaders.

Commitment

Justice Torkornoo said elections were at the heart of democracy and, therefore, the manual was a testament to the Judicial Service’s commitment to continuously uphold transparency, fairness and rule of law to help protect the country’s democracy.

“It is our resolve to go over and beyond our call of duty to ensure that the relevant law is not only known to judges and lawyers, but available as a useful tool for election administrators,” she said.

“Its wide usage and familiarity will prevent avoidable misunderstandings and strengthen our democracy. I urge everyone to pay close attention to its contents and allow it to be a good guide for accessing justice in the courts,” she added.

A soft copy of the manual would be made available for free on the website of the judicial service.
Justice Torkornoo lauded a former Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, for initiating the idea of an election adjudicating manual, and also her predecessors - Justices Anin

Yeboah and Sophia Akuffo, for continuing with the practice.

She also commended the Election Management Committee (EMC) of the Judicial Service, chaired by Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, a Justice of the Supreme Court, for working hard to come up with the manual. 

Protection of democracy

Justice Torkornoo said that every citizen had the duty to protect the country’s democracy and also ensure that the democratic foundation continued to blossom.

“Currently, there is an even more urgent need to protect the essence of the rule of law and democratic principles in the country. In the last week, I have had the unpleasant duty of having to close down courts in the Upper Regions of our country, and no one benefits from such situations.

“It is in the national interest for all and sundry to rally around the administration of law and justice in the coming elections in order to ensure the preservation of the national fabric that the Constitution has put together for us,” she added.

Stakeholder engagement

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said the EMC, as part of its work, held a wide stakeholder engagement with many groups to solicit their views.

He said one of the main issues that came up during the engagement was how to expedite the adjudicating of parliamentary electoral disputes.

In view of that, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said their views and recommendations were included in the manual and sent to the Rules of Court Committee and the Office of the Attorney-General for consideration.

“The EMC also conducted training for magistrates and High Court judges, who according to Regulation 21 (1) of C.I 91, are required to act as district registration review officers and chief review registration officers,” he said.

Writer’s email : emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh