Parliament is set to resume sitting on November 7, 2024 after Speaker Alban Bagbin suspended sitting indefinitely.
A notice issued from the Office of the Speaker indicated that pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the Constitution and Standing Orders 5 and 53, the House is expected to resume sitting on November 7, 2024.
The sitting will resume at 10:00 am in the forenoon at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, Accra.
The Speaker suspended the House indefinitely on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, while indicating that the House had the quorum to conduct business but was unable to take decisions.
He informed the House that he had received a communication from the Supreme Court but did not go into detail regarding its contents.
He cited a lack of sufficient MPs to take decisions, saying they had the number to form quorum but lacked the required number to take decisions.
On October 18, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Alban Bagbin’s ruling, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
The court ordered Parliament to recognise and allow the four MPs to fully represent their constituencies and carry out their official duties.
The Speaker went back to court praying for the panel to reverse its order because it was in error.
On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed an application by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, praying on it to overturn its stay of execution of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
The decision by the court followed the initial suit filed by Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, challenging the Speaker’s declaration.
Lawyers from the Speaker argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction in this case, among other grounds canvassed in court.
The court, however, dismissed the application, maintaining that its earlier ruling was appropriate and stating that the speaker’s appeal was without merit.
This was after it had heard arguments from all parties, including the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
The Chief Justice who chaired the panel was emphatic that the orders of the court cannot be disobeyed since that would amount to high crime.
The panel of the court affirmed that the Speaker’s application amounted to “misinformation and misapprehension of the law.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
