Vacant seats: Supreme Court ruling lacks enforceability without further orders – Justice Atuguba

Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has noted that the Supreme Court’s ruling on vacant parliamentary seats lacks enforceability without specific follow-up orders.

He explained that while the declaration has legal weight, it cannot be implemented effectively without directions, as required by Article 2 of the Constitution.

Prof. Kofi Abotsi, Dean of UPSA Law School, also criticized the ruling, saying it failed to clearly define what constitutes vacating a parliamentary seat.

He pointed out that while the court ruled against Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare seats vacant, it only explained what does not amount to vacating a seat, leaving ambiguity in the law.

Both legal experts warn that the unclear ruling could lead to future disputes.