The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed a review application filed by the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, seeking to overturn an earlier decision that refused an injunction in his case challenging administrative warrants issued to High Court judges to hear selected criminal cases during the legal vacation.
A three-member panel presided over by Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi dismissed the application on Wednesday, September 2, ruling that the applicant failed to meet the threshold required to invoke the Court’s limited review jurisdiction.
Delivering the ruling, the apex court held that no special or exceptional circumstances had been established by the applicant to warrant a review of its earlier decision.
Background
The ruling follows a previous decision by the Supreme Court on Friday, August 21, 2026, where a single judge, Justice Gabriel Pwamang, dismissed Oppong Nkrumah’s initial application for an interlocutory injunction.
The Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker had initiated a substantive suit challenging the constitutionality of administrative warrants issued by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
The warrants directed specific High Court judges to continue hearing designated criminal matters during the annual legal vacation, which runs from August 1 to September 30.
Oppong Nkrumah argued under Articles 17(1), (2), and 296(a) and (b) of the 1992 Constitution that selecting specific cases for continuation during the recess amounted to selective justice.
Through his lead counsel, Frank Davies, he sought an injunction to suspend operations in Specialised Courts 1 and 2 pending the determination of his main suit, arguing that proceeding without defense counsel present could prejudice accused persons and compromise their constitutional rights.
However, the state, represented by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, opposed the motion, contending that the application conflated the administrative duties of the Chief Justice with the judicial functions of individual trial judges. The prosecution maintained that the applicant failed to demonstrate personal injury or exceptional circumstances to stop the courts from sitting.
Dismissing the initial injunction application, Justice Pwamang cleared the path for high-profile criminal trials to proceed across the vacation period. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Oppong Nkrumah filed for a review, which has now been turned down by the three-member panel led by Justice Kulendi.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
