Nobody Can Punish Dr Ayine For Expressing His Opinion About Independence Of The Judiciary - Sammy Gyamfi
National Communications Officer for the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says Dr Dominic Ayine has done nothing wrong in his presentation at the CDD organized forum to warrant the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to write to the General Legal Council of Ghana to punish him [Ayine].
Sammy Gyamfi in an interview on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021 said that the 1992 Constitution allows Dr Dominic Ayine to offer his opinion on the ruling of the Supreme Court on the 2020 election petition.
“Ghana is a democratic country and so the 1992 Constitution which is being used to govern the country allows everybody to express their opinion or the freedom of expression. In view of this, anybody can express their opinion or views after a judgment has been given on a case”.
“The opinion may not favour the Chief Justice, or it may not base on law, and it may be wrong, but that is the opinion of someone and the person is entitled to it and the law says that the person cannot be persecuted or harassed for expressing their opinion”.
According to Sammy Gyamfi, it is unfathomable for the Chief Justice to write to the General Legal Council of Ghana to punish Dr Dominic Ayine for expressing his opinion on the verdict of the Supreme Court on the 2020 election petition when other lawyers expressed their opinion on the same verdict of the Supreme Court.
“Lawyers from both NPP and NDC expressed their opinions; while the NPP lawyers supported the ruling of the Supreme Court on the 2020 election petition, the NDC lawyer, Dr Ayine disagreed with the ruling of the Supreme Court and that has angered Justice Anin-Yeboah to write to the General Legal Council to punish Dr Ayine,” he wondered.
“We in the NDC would have understood Justice Anin-Yeboah if his petition to the General Legal Council is based on the fact that he [Dr. Ayine] has denigrated and insulted the 7 judges who sat on the 2020 election petition, but he did not rebuke the Supreme Court. Dr Ayine was talking about his confidence in the Judiciary and nobody can punish anybody about his or her opinion on an issue,” he argued.
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