Kamal-Deen Abdulai
A deputy National Communications Director of the governing NPP, Kamal-Deen Abdulai, has urged Ghanaians to protect the country’s democratic institutions, especially the Supreme Court by not scandalise it.
“Partisanship shouldn’t push us to scandalising our venerable institutions of law. Who appointed who to the bench is immaterial when it comes to the proper application of the law. There is surely a very good reason why judges are not elected and so is there a strong reason why their removal from office is stringent in the eyes of the law. Hence, polarising their profession by us is a dangerous trend we must eschew,” Kamal-Deen said.
In a Facebook post, over the weekend, the former NPP National Nasara Coordinator entreated Ghanaians to always lay hands on the “various judgements and establish the ratios espoused by them, before setting off to chastise them or otherwise.”
Relevance of leaders
Alluding the management of the country to a typical Ghanaian home, he urged the populace to “imagine a home without a venerable leader who confidence is reposed in by the people of the said defined territory and in some cases even by non-inhabitants of that jurisdiction.”
“You will agree with me that such a home will certainly see a jungle lifestyle as its major characteristic. Reason why we shouldn’t appear scornful to the custodians and interpreters (Judges/Justices) of our laws, as a people. We may disagree with them on the grounds of law and other superior acceptable arguments that we may seek to advance but certainly not in a contemptuous manner,” he said.
“Sadly, sometimes those who cross the line in this regard are people who ought to have known better. The word contempt is traced all the way back to the year 1393 from a Latin word ‘contemptus’, meaning ‘scorn’ and has ever since been introduced to our societies across the world, legally. Therefore, it is trite knowledge that an act of contempt either by deeds or words is an affront to our jurisprudence or legal architecture which is known to many of us. Unless we want to unnecessarily remain disrespectful,” he added.
Judicial service’s worry
Mr Kamal-Deen’s comments comes at the time the Judicial Service has expressed disquiet about the behaviour of some people and media organisations towards the justices sitting on the ongoing presidential election petition.
The Judicial Service over the weekend wrote to media houses in the country asking them to remove all publications that are “dangerous to the Ghanaian society and our democracy as a whole not only because they obviously sow in the minds of the unsuspecting members of the public, false notions that the justice system is a sham and should not be trusted, but actually provides a foundation for lawlessness, as it is clearly suggests to Ghanaians that they should no longer have confidence in the judicial system.”
About The Author
