Former Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine is set to face the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council for allegedly making disparaging comments against the Supreme Court.
This follows a petition by the Chief Justice, Anim Yeboah to the General Legal Council over comments Dr. Ayine made while contributing to discussions at a forum organized by the Center for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-Ghana) on the topic ‘Presidential Election Petitions and their Impact on Africa’s Democracy’.
Sharing his views on the topic, Dr. Ayine questioned the independence of the judiciary particularly the Apex Court due to the manner in which it adjudicated the 2020 election petition brought before it by former president John Dramani Mahama.
He accused the justices of the Supreme Court, who sat on the case, of failing to apply the rules of procedure and constantly putting blockages on the way of the petitioner making it difficult for him to adduce the necessary evidence to support his case.
The Bolgatanga East MP, who was a member of Mr. Mahama’s legal team, said the continuous dismissal of the petitioner’s applications during the hearing brought the independence of the justices and for that matter the judiciary into questioning.
But in a petitioner signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo and addressed to the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council, the Chief Justice said he finds the comments made by Dr. Ayine disparaging to the judiciary and totally unacceptable especially after Dr. Ayine was made to apologize to the Apex Court over similar comments he made during the election petition hearing.
He, therefore, petitioned the General Legal Council to investigate the matter and probably take appropriate actions against the MP if he is found culpable.
“The attention of His Lordship the Chief Justice has been drawn to statements allegedly made by Dr. Dominic Ayine during a panel discussion on Presidential Election Petitions and their impact on Africa’s Democracy.
These comments are made against the backdrop of the Supreme Court discharging Dr. Ayine on a charge of contempt for similar comments made against members of the Supreme Court during the Election Petition hearing. Dr. Ayine apologized profusely when he appeared before the Court on the contempt charge and admitted to having made comments which were unbecoming of a lawyer of his standing and a former Deputy Attorney-General,” it said.
It added “His Lordship the Chief Justice therefore finds his alleged disparaging comments totally unacceptable and would like you to investigate this matter further”.
