Lawyers involved in the case against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and her deputies have initiated legal proceedings at the Court of Appeal, challenging the ruling on the limited voter registration exercise.
The EC faced contempt charges in an Accra High Court for proceeding with the limited voter registration exercise despite the existence of an interlocutory injunction filed against the Commission.
Unsatisfied with the High Court’s ruling of Friday, November 24, 2023, by Her Ladyship Justice Patricia Quansah, the lawyers are arguing that the decision was against the weight of the evidence presented at the hearing.
The notice of appeal served at the Court of Appeal stated, “Take notice that the Applicant/Appellant herein being dissatisfied with the ruling of the High Court, Tema, sitting per Her Ladyship Justice Patricia Quansah dated 24th November 2023, hereby appeals to the Court of Appeal on the ground set out in paragraph 3 herein of the Notice of Appeal and will at the hearing of the Appeal seek the relief set out in paragraph 4.” Among the reliefs sought by the lawyers are: “An order citing the respondents for court,” and “an order committing the respondents for contempt.
” An interlocutory injunction was secured on Friday, September 8, by Ayitah Precious, a resident of Otsebleku near Afienya, who is not a registered voter. She obtained the injunction to prevent the voter registration exercise from commencing, especially in certain districts.
Ayitah Precious emphasized in her writ that her place of residence is located approximately 44.3 kilometres from the EC’s fistrict office in Prampram when using the Accra-Aflao road. She indicated that she cannot afford the cost of traveling the distance to have her registration done at the EC office. The decision by the EC to designate its district offices as the only centres for the registration was met with some criticism and challenges including the suit by Ayitah.
The court granted her relief and injuncted the process, but the Electoral Commissioner and her deputies went ahead to issue notices of the exercise, which commenced on September 12. Ayitah Precious, dissatisfied with the disregard of the court’s ruling, returned to the High Court on Monday, September 11, to request that Jean Adukwei Mensa, the Chair of the Commission, along with her two deputies, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, be cited for contempt of court. However, her case was dismissed by the High Court prompting the appeal.
Source: ghanaweb
