By
Felix Engsalige Nyaaba
The Judges of the Supreme Court, hearing the ongoing
election petition yesterday once again strongly warned lawyers and media men
against making misleading comments and giving false reportage on issues pending
at the court.
They also vowed to exercises their constitutional
obligation to protect the state and crack the whip on lawyers and journalist who
refused to be dictated by the rules of the court.
Mr. Justice William Atuguba, president of the nine
member panel sent the stiff warning when the court reconvened to hear the KPMG report on the counting of
the number of exhibits filed by the petitioners.
According to the judges, all the earlier warning
against foul language by lawyers and inaccurate reportages on issues by the
media have all not yielded good results and that the court has therefore
taken a stemmed position to deal with anybody found in any attempt to discrete the image of the
court.
Citing the ‘Daily Guide’ Newspaper to prove the
grounds for the final warning, justice Atuguba said, the paper somewhere last
week reported that some of pink sheets in his custody have gone missing but was
later found by him (judge), which in his view was absolutely inaccurate and
fabrication.
He said for the past, the court has the
consideration not to punish anybody for the interest of the society, but if
such fabricated stories keep on heaving on the bench, the court would exercises
its judicial authority on those persons or body involved.
The court warning to the lawyers and the media
aroused when some people in the public gallery have started making noise when
the court was about to adjourn.
“The court room is not a stock exchange forum, we
gave warning her on several occasion, but those warning did not yield results,
so this time round we have to protect the authority of the state and the
judiciary, we have no power to stop you from making comments, but we have the
power to protect the state and the constitution.
We have taken position that anybody, are it’s the
media or anyone, make any comments or reportage which seeks to misrepresent the
issues in this court, that person would be met with the appropriate response
from us, “ he stated.
The presiding judge further noted that if the
authority of the judiciary is under siege, the State authority is also under
threat and there would be anarchy in the country, adding the judiciary has the
authority to protect the image and authority of the state and the people.
Justice Atuguba further stated that, as much the
court do not want to visit its authority on any body, people should not
perceive that the court is weak, adding that it is bound on the judiciary
powers that to protect the state and any body found on twisting issues against
the judiciary would be sanction per the decision of the court accordingly.
It was the court fourth time of the court to warn
lawyers and journalist since the presidential election petition began on April
16, 2013.
The first warning by the court was on Dr Mahamudu
Bawumia, the second petitioner and star witness of the petitioners.
The second was lawyers and the media over the orders
and the controversy over the number of pink sheets the petitioners filed when
KPMG was ordered to serve as referee and conduct the audit counting.
The third warning which was followed with an attempt
of contempt was against Mr. Philip Addison, lead counsel for the petitioners
for unprofessional conduct by way of insinuation and foul language towards the
bench.
Mr. Tony Lithur, lead counsel for the president and
first respondent in the case was also reprimanded for exhibiting unprofessional
act in court when he lost his tempers and threw away court document.
The nine panel judges hearing the petition are, Mr Justice William
Atuguba (presiding), Mr Justice Julius Ansah, Mrs Justice Sophia Adinyira
and Ms Justice Rose Owusu,
The rest are Mr. Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Mr
Justice Anin Yeboah, Mr Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr Justice Nashiru. Sule .
Gbadegbe and Mrs Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo.
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