The Minority in Parliament has urged President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill, arguing that the legislation is flawed and could have far-reaching implications for Ghana’s justice system.
According to the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and MP for Asante Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the President has an opportunity to protect his legacy by refusing to sign the bill into law.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi noted that the Minority intends to issue a statement outlining what it considers to be the shortcomings of the legislation before formally appealing to the President.
“We would come out with a press release telling Ghanaians the wrong things in the bill. And then we would also ask President Mahama, whom we all think should leave a good legacy, not to sign this bill because it’s no good for Ghana,” he said.
Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi maintained that the bill revives a tribunal system that many Ghanaians associate with abuses during the AFRC and PNDC eras.
He argued that the government’s justification for introducing the legislation, including reducing the backlog of court cases and tackling illegal mining, does not warrant the creation of a new tribunal structure.
According to him, the Chief Justice already has the constitutional authority to establish additional specialised courts to deal with specific categories of cases, making the proposed tribunals unnecessary.
The Asante Akim Central MP also raised concerns about provisions governing the composition of tribunal panels, claiming that educational qualification requirements for some members had been weakened during the bill’s consideration in Parliament.
He further argued that some provisions of the legislation are unconstitutional and warned that if President Mahama assents to the bill despite the Minority’s concerns, the caucus would consider seeking judicial intervention.
Parliament passed the Tribunals Bill despite strong opposition from the Minority, which argued that the legislation could create confusion within the judicial system. The Majority has, however, defended the bill, insisting it provides a stronger legal framework for the administration of justice while addressing concerns raised during the legislative process.
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