Lawyer and politician Mahama Ayariga has criticized the MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin’s capacity to petition the Supreme Court over supposed abuse of other people’s human rights.
He argued that Afenyo-Markin lacks the necessary legal standing, or locus, to make an application regarding the matter.
Speaking to Alfred Ocansey on The Key Points on TV3, Ayariga questioned the basis for Afenyo Markin’s participation, emphasizing that he does not represent any of the affected constituencies and therefore cannot claim that his rights have been violated.
In a statement, Ayariga posed several rhetorical questions: “If it was a human rights matter, whose rights were violated? Does Afenyo-Markin come from those constituencies? Has his right to representation been compromised?”
He further argued that if the case pertains to human rights, the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction, citing Article 33 of the Constitution, which outlines the protection of human rights.
Expressing his concern over the court’s ruling, Ayariga stated he was “scandalized” by the decision, which he believes exceeded the Court’s powers.
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He noted that the Supreme Court did not affirm or reject the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant, raising questions about the rationale behind the court’s actions.
He stated that it is the court’s responsibility to determine whether a matter is right or wrong. However, he believes the court has overstepped its boundaries.
The Supreme Court has temporarily halted Speaker Bagbin’s decision, mandating that Parliament recognize the four Members of Parliament (MPs) and allow them to continue serving their constituencies.
This will remain in effect until the Court issues its final judgment on the matter.
The case was brought before the Supreme Court by New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, who sought to contest the Speaker’s ruling, which affected three NPP members and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The application was submitted ex parte, meaning it was filed without the Speaker or Parliament’s participation at this stage.
Source: 3news.com
