Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has issued a strong warning about the rising trend of citizens filing lawsuits against parliamentary proceedings, expressing concern that this could undermine the effectiveness of the legislature.
Recently, Richard Sky and Amanda Odoi took their case against the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to the Supreme Court to prevent its transmission to President Akufo-Addo.
Similarly, another citizen has filed a lawsuit challenging a petition to Parliament to investigate the Cecilia Dapaah Saga.
During a debate on the Ghana Standards Authority Pricing of Cement Regulation, Speaker Bagbin addressed concerns raised by Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, regarding potential legal challenges to legislative instruments (LI).
Iddrisu emphasized that no court has the authority to obstruct Parliament’s work, though judicial review may occur after parliamentary processes conclude.
Speaker Bagbin noted that numerous lawsuits have been filed attempting to halt Parliament’s legitimate functions and stressed the importance of MPs addressing this issue seriously to prevent diminishing the legislature’s relevance.
He highlighted that while his remarks were made in light of the ongoing Supreme Court cases, there is a need for Parliament to maintain its constitutional mandate despite legal challenges.
“We have to take this seriously or else our legislative authority is being taken away from us by other agencies and arms of government. That should be resisted by the House, or else your being here is of no consequence,” Bagbin stated.
He further clarified that, according to the law, no one should take a bill under consideration by the House to court until it is assented to by the President. Bagbin lamented that he is frequently served with writs related to matters being considered by the House, compelling him to address the issue.
