There appears to be no end in sight for the protracted legal battle between some judges found to have traded money, gifts for justice and the Chief Justice who dismissed them.
Three of the High court judges standing trial in the infamous bribery scandal in the judiciary have filed a suit challenging the choice of legal representation for the Chief Justice Georgina Wood.
Justices Paul Uter Dery, Mustapha Habib Logoh, and Gilbert Ayisi Addo contend the Chief Justice erred in law when she instructed a private legal practitioner to represent her in court.
The three, sued the Chief Justice, ace investigator Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his private investigative Tiger EyePI asking the court, to amongst other things, declare as null and void the decision by the Chief Justice to dismiss them.
The Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood instructed her lawyer, a private legal practitioner, Kizito Beyuo to represent her but even that has courted the anger of the three judges.
The three maintain it is only the Attorney General that can represent the Chief Justice and not a private legal practitioner.
They have therefore filed a writ invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to challenge the move by the Chief Justice.
The writ, a copy of which has been intercepted by Myjoyonline.com, is asking for a “declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 88(1) & (5) of the 1992 Constitution the Chief Justice, the 1st Defendant herein, acted unconstitutionally when she purportedly instructed Kizito Beyuo, a private legal practitioner, to represent her as a lawyer in Suit No J1/2/2017 pending in this court, which suit is challenging the official acts of the Chief Justice, the 1st Defendant here in.”
They want the court to declare as unconstitutional, not only the decision by the Chief Justice to ask Mr Beyuo to represent her but the decision of Mr Beyuo to enter appearance for her.
They argue that decision is alien to Ghana’s jurisprudence and must be quashed.
The petitioners, filed the writ in their capacities as citizens of Ghana and justices of the Superior Court of Judicature.
The defendants in the case, the Chief Justice and the Attorney General, have 14 days within which to file their statement of case.
The three plaintiffs are part of some 22 justices from the lower and high courts said to have traded monies, goats, and tubers of yams for justice.
They were caught on video collecting the bribes thanks to investigative piece by ace journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The magistrates were sacked shortly after the video went viral. For some 12 justices at the High Court, a committee was set up by the Chief Justice to investigate the matter and determine if there is a prima facie case against the justices.
The committee concluded its investigations and recommended that the justices be sacked, a recommendation the Chief Justice wasted no time in executing.
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