“Atuguba Is Disgraced to the Bench” – Maurice Ampaw Fires Retired Supreme Court Judge for Criticizing the Supreme Court
Legal Practitioner Accuses Former Judge of Sabotaging His Colleagues
- Justice William Atuguba criticized the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Speaker Bagbin's declaration of four seats
- Lawyer Maurice Ampaw accused Atuguba of sabotaging his fellow judges
- Lawyer Ampaw suggested that Atuguba should have expressed his views in writing
Retired Supreme Court Judge Justice William Atuguba is a disgrace to the bench, according to private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw.
Lawyer Ampaw’s comments follow Justice Atuguba’s criticism of the Supreme Court after it overturned Speaker Bagbin’s declaration regarding four vacant seats.
This decision came after the Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, filed an injunction application in response to the Minority’s efforts to have the seats of Independent candidates declared vacant.
Justice Atuguba stated that the Supreme Court should not have been the first point of call, as stipulated by the Constitution. He further argued that invoking the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling is wrong.
Lawyer Ampaw speaking on the Lawson TV/Radio Ghana Se Sen Morning Show asserted that for Justice Atuguba to describe the ruling of the Supreme Court as he did is an insult and a betrayal. He claimed that Atuguba’s statements imply that he is sabotaging the judges.
Ampaw expressed disapproval of Justice Atuguba’s decision to grant the interview and criticize his fellow judges. He suggested that Atuguba could have written to the Supreme Court to share his opinion but failed to do so.
“It was inappropriate for him to grant the interview. Your colleagues are the ones sitting on the case. You don’t have to sabotage your colleagues. If you disagree, you can write to them; this is called a considered opinion. It is an insult and a betrayal. If you condemn the ruling, it suggests that the judges are black sheep,” he told Kwame Tanko
