The sanctity of the constitution has to be protected – Frank Davies on SC order to Parliament on Quayson

0
294
Frank Davies was lawyer for he plaintiff in the case
Advertisement

Private legal practitioner Mr Frank Davies has welcomed the Supreme Court order to Parliament to remove the name of Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, from the records of Parliament. 

He said the order is right because the sanctity of the 1992 Constitution has to be protected.

The apex court on Wednesday, May 17 unanimously ruled that the name of Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, should be expunged from the records of Parliament.

This was after plaintiff Michael Ankomah Nimfah filed an application early this year, seeking among others, a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution.

He sought to invoke the original jurisdiction of the apex court of the land to declare the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson as unconstitutional.

Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution states: “A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.”

Mr Frank Davies who is the lawyer for the plaintiff told journalists after the court hearing on Wednesday that “we have to protect the sanctity of the constitution, we are satisfied that  the Law Lords, all seven of them, have unanimously agreed with the position we have held all along and at all times material that James Gyekye Quayson was not qualified under the dictates of Constitution of the Republic to have contested as a Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency.

It has been a long road but today finally the judgment has been handed and we have a clear indication as to what the provision on dual citizenship in respect of contest for an MP.”