Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has emphasized that in Ghana, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and no individual or institution, regardless of their position or power, is above the Article 1 of the Constitution.
Addressing attendees at the swearing-in ceremony of the new President and executives of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) on Monday, November 4, Dame underscored the Constitution’s role as the nation’s supreme law.
He highlighted that this supreme law entrusts the Judiciary with the final judicial authority, affirming that every individual or institution, including the President, is subject to the Judiciary’s power to interpret and apply the laws of Ghana without exception.
“In accordance with Article 1 of the Constitution, sovereignty resides in the people of Ghana, and the Constitution is the supreme law of Ghana.
That supreme law has vested the Judiciary with final judicial power.
No individual or institution, including the person who takes precedence over all in this country the President is exempt from the courts’ authority to interpret and apply the laws of Ghana,” Dame stated.
“Every individual or institution, including the person who takes precedence over all in this country – the President – is subject to the court’s powers to interpret and apply the laws of Ghana without question,” he said.
He further explained that this principle is fundamental to the functioning of a civilised society.
“Whatever procedures are utilised by any institution in this country for the conduct of its activity must comply with the Constitution and the laws of Ghana.
A default of same will render such procedures liable to be declared by the courts as unconstitutional or illegal. It is as simple as that, and it is non-negotiable.”
His comments come days after the Supreme Court of Ghana dismissed an application by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, who sought to reverse a previous ruling that blocked his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
