Dr. Justice Srem Sai, a constitutional lawyer, has underscored that the current tension between the executive and the legislature does not portend a loss for the country.

Dr. Srem Sai’s comments follow concerns that the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to halt the approval process of Ministers Designate could have an economic impact on the country in terms of governance.

“In terms of cost, I think there is no loss with what is happening,” he stated on TV3’s political analysis programme The Key Points on Saturday, March 23.

The constitutional lawyer was of the view that the court cases would rather help the country in the long term as the court will, amongst other things, determine if a person performing a constitutional mandate can be prevented by a court writ from doing so.

“In the short term, we may think that this is costing us but in the long term, certain things will not repeat themselves,” he added.

“We can still discuss this state of confusion without bringing up the LGBT issue because whatever decision they’re taking now, whatever the court will rule now in the future will have nothing to do with LGBT,” he said.

He continued that the outcome of the case “would have everything to do with how the President is supposed to behave when there is a law being passed in parliament, whether someone can interfere or interrupt the process of lawmaking.”

Meanwhile, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu, on his part, endorsed the decision of Parliament, emphasising that the size of the government is already overbloated.

People also read:

• Attorney-General’s behaviour lacks consistency – Srem Sai
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He therefore urged President Akufo-Addo to take a cue from Vice President Dr. Bawumia, who has said that he will run a lean government with a maximum of 60 ministers when elected president.

Background

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, announced on Wednesday, March 20, that the House is unable to continue the processes that would lead to the approval of ministers designate vetted by the Appointments Committee.

In a 62-point letter in response to President Akufo-Addo’s letter on the anti-LGBTQ bill to Parliament noted that the decision has been occasioned by the pendency of an interlocutory injunction filed by the Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.

“Hon Members, I also bring to your attention, the receipt of a process from the Courts titled Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor vrs the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney-General (Suit no. J1/12/2024) which process was served on the 19th of March 2024 and an injunction motion on notice seeking to restrain the Speaker from proceeding with the vetting and approval of the names of the persons submitted by His Excellency the President until the provisions of the constitution are satisfied.

“Hon. Members in the light of this process, the House is unable to continue to consider the nominations of His Excellency the President in the “spirit of upholding the rule of law“ until after the determination of the application for interlocutory injunction by the Supreme Court,” said Speaker Bagbin.

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