The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday asked the Editor of the Daily Searchlights Newspaper, Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie to find a master and learn his legal trade.
Justice Yonni Kulendi, a member of the seven panel of judges that presided over gave this advice to Mr Kuranchie, who filed a suit asking the court to stop former President John Mahama from contesting the 2024 General Election.
Consequently, the SC struck out the suit as it was defective and failed to properly invoke the jurisdiction of court.
The panel, presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, said it was satisfied that plaintiff’s writ is “defective” after failing to file statement case within time as per the rules of the court.
The court said, the nature of the writ before the court currently makes it “incapable of invoking the jurisdiction” of the apex court.
While striking out the writ as “defective,” panel members particularly Justice Kulendi, took time to school the plaintiff who had represented himself as counsel.
Justice Kulendi pointed out to Mr Kuranchie that his writ was not borne by the rules of the court and that plaintiff cannot invent his own rules.
He said “because of your interest in law, you have become a lawyer, but do it properly. You must find a master and learn under your master and cut your teeth properly.”
Lawyers of John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Speaker of Parliament, who were the third and fourth respondents in the writ had urged the Supreme Court to strike out the plaintiff’s case.
A team of five lawyers led by Tony Lithur with Dr Aziz Bamba and Dr Justice Srem Sai for John Mahama argued that, per the nature of the writ, there was nothing before the Supreme Court to consider.
Thaddeus Sory who represented the Speaker of Parliament, also argued, that there was no valid writ before the court and same should be struck out.
The NDC’s Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tamekloe, in an interview, said for the court to be a forum for learning explains the kind of works he was doing.
While representative of the Attorney General and John Agyekum Kuffuor, first and second respondents were absent, John Mahama was represented by Fifi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC.
Whilst the Speaker was represented by Mary Wendy Yeboah, Senior Legal Officer in Parliament.
The Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Searchlight, Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, had filed processes at the SC challenging the eligibility of former President Mahama to seek re-election in the 2024 polls.
Amongst the reliefs, Kuranchie is seeking a declaration that upon true and proper Interpretation of Article 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, a person seeking a second presidential term must be a sitting president.
Joined to the suit are former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
Mr Kuranchie asked the court to order the Speaker of Parliament to invoke and operationalise Article 68 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.
