Retired Supreme Court Judge, William Atuguba has revealed a possible jail term for Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin should he fail to comply with the ruling of the court on the vacant seats.
The Supreme Court presided by Chief Justice Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, overruled Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant stating that the decision was unconstitutional.
Reacting to the ruling and its implications, Justice Atubuga said Speaker Bagbin might face up to 10 years in jail if he fails to comply with the ruling from the Supreme Court.
“It is not necessarily 10 years; you must just suffer a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years. Not only that, 10 year disqualification from holding public office, and if you are a president, you are liable to removal.”
“In the face of this decision, Speaker Bagbin is bound by the decision of the Supreme Court,” Justice Atuguba said in an interview.
The Supreme court led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and comprising seven justices, ruled in favour of Afenyo-Markin, accepting all his arguments in a 5-2 majority decision.