Election Petition: ‘Justice should not be sacrificed for expedition’ – Tsatsu Tsikata to SC judges

Lawyer for former President John Mahama in the ongoing election petition case at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, challenged the timelines announced by the Supreme Court for the hearing of the petition, suggesting that the court seems to be rushing the case.

The Supreme Court has set out five issues for determination in the election petition filed by John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate in the 2020 polls.

The Supreme Court also set out modalities within which the petition will be conducted.

But Mr. Tsikata among other things wanted the court to factor what he said were some “outstanding issues” in the timeline but that was not done.

He cited a fresh application filed by his team for a review of the court’s January 19, 2021 ruling on their interrogatories as an example of what should have been factored in the timelines.

He also suggested that the time allocated for the filing of witness statements was inadequate.

“The timeline that is provided for us to have witness statements does not seem to be justified… I do know about the schedule provided, but I also know that your lordships are here to administer justice and that justice should not be sacrificed for the expedition,” Tsatsu Tsikata said in court on Wednesday.

But Justice Yaw Appau differed in view.

According to him, the application for a review of the court’s judgment on the interrogatories of the petitioner does not amount to a stay of execution hence the case can still go on without a decision from the requested review.

Meanwhile, the Court has adjourned to Tuesday, January 26, 2021, for a hearing to commence on the substantive petition.