Parliament should have been given a say in the legal challenge of the right of the First Deputy Speaker to count himself in a quorum for a vote; Martin Kpebu, a lawyer, has argued.

At the very least, the lawyer said, Parliament “should have been made a party or at least invited to put in an amicus brief.”

“Parliament being a huge constituency in this matter; a huge stakeholder, I think we should have heard from Parliament,” Mr. Kpebu said on The Big Issue.

He stressed that the legislature’s say was important because “the central theme of this suit was going to affect Parliament.”


The Supreme Court affirmed the right of Deputy Speakers of Parliament to vote in Parliament even when they are presiding as Speaker.

Mr. Kpebu suggested that Parliament could consider a fresh action following the judgement.

“Maybe they will want to look at it and take a fresh action or something so that we can get full arguments into it because that way, when the decision comes, we will make sure all angles have been covered.”

The judgement was given in a case brought by a law professor, Justice Abdulai, who was contesting the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu’s, decision to count himself for a vote on the budget.

The judgement backed the position of Mr. Osei-Owusu, who defended his decisive vote in the approval of the 2022 budget, although he was presiding as Speaker.

The Court also struck down order 109 (3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, describing it as unconstitutional.

On November 30, last year, Mr. Osei-Owusu, who is also the Bekwai MP, presided over the overturning of an earlier vote of the House rejecting the government’s 2022 Budget.

The First Deputy Speaker welcomed the judgement, describing it as refreshing.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Babgin, however, described it as absurd and reckless.

Source: citifmonline