General News of Wednesday, 20 January 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Justice must not be sacrificed for expedition – Tsatsu Tsikata to Supreme Court judges

Tsatsu Tsikata, the Lead Counsel for John Dramani Mahama Tsatsu Tsikata, the Lead Counsel for John Dramani Mahama

Tsatsu Tsikata, the Lead Counsel for John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 Election Petition has urged the seven-member judging panel not to prioritize expediting the hearing of the case at the expense of justice.

According to him, despite the court working with a strict timeline, the delivery of justice should take precedence over decisions they make.

Tsatsu was expressing his discontent about an order by the Supreme Court for all parties involved in the case to file their witness statement by 12pm, Thursday, January 21, 2021.

Tsatsu protested before the justices that the period is too short and that the order is not in conformity with the law.

But the panel referred Tsatsu to C.I 99 which requires them to work within strict timelines.

A member of the panel also said he was shocked by the stance of Tsatsu Tsikata and that as petitioners, they should have been adequately prepared their witness statement.

But Tsatsu Tsikata retorted that the judges must ensure that justice is not perverted in their bid to expedite the hearing.

“Justice cannot be sacrificed for expedition”, he told the court. Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to Tuesday, January 26.