Ghanaians Should Be Confident In Our Judicial System - Ato Dadzie

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Parent Category: Justice & Security

Category: Law Commentaries

Created on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 00:00

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Ghanaians Should Be Confident In Our Judicial System - Ato Dadzie

A member of the National Democratic Congress' legal team, Lawyer Nana Ato Dadzie has implored Ghanaians to repose confidence in the judicial system of the country.

He urged the citizenry to believe in the legal system of the land and ensure that the Supreme Court sitting on the election case between the NPP leaders, Electoral Commission and President John Dramani Mahama is not stampeded.

He spoke to Radio Gold on Tuesday, March 26, 2013.

According to him, Ghana’s judicial system is fully capable of determining the path for the country in order to maintain peace and stability.

Speaking in relation to Kenya’s legal challenge between the country’s defeated Prime Minister, Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta who emerged victor in the 4th March Presidential elections; Lawyer Ato Dadzie warned the nation not to draw inspiration from the Kenyan State since their track record is questionable.

He explained that due to the genocide that took place in the country, Ghana cannot replicate their feat and so, advised Ghanaians to refrain from comparing the NPP’s election case to the Kenyan situation.

Kenya’s elections this year saw the two leaders of the country clash over who the Presidential throne should be handed over to.

Raila Odinga challenged the victory of Uhuru Kenyatta claiming his results were manipulated.

Here in Ghana, the two major political parties, New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), have also been locked up in a legal battle to decide the fate of the NPP 2012 Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Though the Kenyan Supreme Court has accepted a plea to televise their legal process, Ghana’s situation is different and according to Lawyer Ato Dadzie, the country has its “own legal system and I believe that our legal system is moving methodically. It is with good reason that the court decided probably to exclude cameras from the court. It is possibly to reduce the emotions and tensions which go with these matters. But it has overflown in a place like Kenya. I mean people have been killed left and right…So, their system originally could not contain it. So, obviously in a re-run of a similar situation, there must be greater assurance. But I think we should have confidence in our legal system.”

He therefore called on the Ghanaian masses to desist from replicating events that have characterized the Kenyan nation.

“I think we should have confidence in our legal system. I believe that we have confidence in our judicial system. Our Judges are well seasoned. The representation on both sides is fairly solid.

“I don’t think that we should permit anybody to stampede the Supreme Court into taking a decision that may not be in the interest of the nation. I believe that at the end of the day, the court knows what’s best for this country. They have been given a constitutional mandate to determine the path for this country,” he said.

He also outlined his party’s expectations of the election case at the Supreme Court, saying “by 2nd April, we expect that with assistance from the court or the direction of the court, the issues will be cleaned up and set down. The parties will be helped to agree on a number of issues to which the trial will target.”

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com