Graphic launches book on Ghana's election petition

The Graphic Communications Group Limited has launched a book chronicling events during the 2012 presidential election petition at the Supreme Court of Ghana.

Tittled, “Pink Sheets: The Story of Ghana’s Presidential Election Petition” and authored by the company’s ace court reporter, Mabel Aku Baneseh, the 10-chapter book recounts the court proceedings that took place from the filing of processes to the about eight months that the petition hearing lasted.

Launching the book on behalf of the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Joseph Akamba congratulated the author for “authoring such a book that will become a very valuable document for the country’s democratic history.”

He noted that the eight month-long petition was an indication that the country had grown in her confidence in the rule of law and administration of justice.

“The petition was an occasion to venture into uncharted history and we are happy to have had the opportunity to be part of this history,” he added.

Justice Akamba further congratulated Graphic Communications Group Limited for taking the lead to record such an important history and urged other journalists to chronicle their writings in a book.

Review

Reviewing the book, a legal practitioner, Mr Ace Anan Ankomah commended Mabel for bringing an artistic nature to her writing, by breaking down legal language for all to understand.

In reality, he said, “the courts are cold and hard. But the author managed to blend legal soap and legal reality together in a way that I have not seen before.”

Mr Ankomah noted that although it was very difficult to speak legalese in English, the author makes use of cartoons and comic attempts to throw humour for easy reading.

Mr Ankomah further noted that after reading the book, it sets one thinking if there is a need to take a second look at the country’s judicial and democratic jurisprudence.

Motivation for the book

According to the author, she found the need to write the book following the overwhelming feedback from the public concerning the petition and the fact that the case at the Supreme Court was historic.

She said as a journalist, she also saw the need to chronicle the happenings in the Supreme Court for future generations.

“It was an audacious journey. But when you have the zeal, all you need is to stay focused,” Mabel noted.

She further urged colleague journalists to put their experiences into a book for posterity to read.

The Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey said the book would not only serve as a source of information for generations to come but would also serve as material for lawyers and to be used in legal and communications training institutions.

He further urged stakeholders to ensure that there would not be a repetition of an election petition come 2016.