AG sued over Speaker, MPs’ immunities

Two Ghanaian citizens have sued the Attorney General and Minister of Justice over a number of protections the Speaker of Parliament, a Member of Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament enjoy under the 1992 Constitution.

In the writ sighted by Starrfm.com.gh, the petitioners quote Article 117, and 118(1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution among others that give the Speaker, MPs and the Clerk some immunities.

The writ has the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as the only defendant.

The plaintiffs, Hilda Mansuwa Kpentey Dongotey and Albert Gyamfi through their lawyer spell out ten cardinal areas bothering on immunities they will want the court to scrap.

“A declaration that upon a true and proper construction of article 117 of the 1992 Construction of the Republic of Ghana the Speaker or a Deputy Speaker or a Member or the Clerk to Parliament is not granted immunity from arrest for any offence he commits while he is on his way to, attending at or returning from, any proceedings of Parliament.

“A declaration that upon a true and proper construction of article 117 of the 1992 Construction of the Republic of Ghana the Speaker or a Deputy Speaker or a Member or the Clerk to Parliament is not granted immunity from warrantless arrest, restriction or detention while he is on his way to, attending at or returning from, any proceedings of Parliament,” portions of the writ reads.

Attached is the five-page writ

Source: Starrfm.com.gh