In order to avoid having their lawsuit dismissed, the Chief Justice has cautioned political parties and other interested parties to make sure they take their legal processes seriously when they submit a complaint.

She emphasized that procedure is essential and at the core of every court conflict during her remarks at the Thursday, October 31, 2024, launch of the most recent handbook for adjudicating elections.

Some political parties, especially the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have on several occasions complained about how they lose cases in the Supreme Court and have accused the apex court of being too predictable in its ruling on political cases.

However, the Chief Justice advised prospective litigants to follow the proper procedure when they appear in court.

"Not only is procedure critical, but a failure to provide the legal threshold of evidence can be costly. Starting an action in the wrong court can lead to loss of an otherwise perfect case. This is why I crave and ask that strong attention should be given to the teachings and lessons in the materials that have been freely given in this manual.

"It should be extremely helpful to especially the media which needs to correctly inform the public on ongoing disputes. This year's edition which is divided into three volumes as already stated has the most significant change. For ease of reference is a credit to its drafters. In these three volumes they have done a thorough job of reflecting the changing course of election law while remaining true to the overarching principle that have guided previous edition," the Chief Justice said.

KA

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