Private Legal Practitioner, Eric Delanyo Alifo, says the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah did not need counsel from a lawyer before saying the perception of bias in the judiciary represents a national security threat.
According to him, because the Minister was speaking on matters bordering on national security and having experienced happenings in the country’s judicial system firsthand, “he didn’t need to seek any legal advice before making that statement.”
Albert Kan Dapaah speaking at a sensitization workshop on the national security strategy for judges of the superior courts, warned that the perception that the judiciary is biased has dire consequences on the country’s security.
He said if this is not checked, it will compel the citizenry to take the law into their own hands for personal satisfaction with the bench deemed biased.
Former Attorney General and staunch member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ayikoi Otoo, has openly disagreed with National Security Minister over his comments on the judiciary.
Addressing concerns of the former AG, Lawyer Alifo in an interview with Samuel Eshun on e.tv Ghana’s Fact Sheet Show stated, “The point Mr. Ayikoi was making was that because our judges are supposed to rule by law and have taken oaths to uphold the law, whatever decisions they come up with must be considered as right and may have had no other considerations other than the facts and evidence presented before them.”
Having a problem with such line of thought, Lawyer Alifoindicated that such a position means the former AG does not want Ghanaians to think.
Just as all humans a fallible, he pointed out that lawyers are same. “It is just wrong for us to take strange and outrageous rulings from the courts. I don’t believe every decision judges take is true. Judges are fallible and they take a lot of considerations before making any decision.”
He argues rulings of judges must be analyzed “and if a lot of people are outraged by the decision then it has to be relooked at.”