The New Patriotic Party has filed a suit challenging the power and authority of the outgoing president to appoint and or confirm the chair of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as well as the National Commission on Civic Education.
The writ filed, Tuesday by Lawyer Philip Addison is in reaction to President John Mahama’s confirmation of Joseph Whittal and Josephine Nkrumah as chairpersons of the CHRAJ and NCCE respectively early on Tuesday.
The last gasp appointment of these chairpersons come at a time when the president will be bowing out of office after losing the December 7 general elections.
He will hand over power to the Nana Akufo-Addo led administration on January 7 even though transition activities have reached an advanced stage.
With the appointment of CHRAJ and NCCE bosses having a security of tenure, the incoming administration suspect sinister motives behind the new appointments.
Lawyer Philip Addison confirmed the suit against the president in an interview to Myjoyonline.com.
He argued the president by the letter of the law, may have the power to make appointment until the midnight 6th of January 2017 but in the spirit of the law cannot make appointment that will tie the hand of the incoming president.
He said no serious democracy will entertain any such appointment and cited a case in the US where Barrack Obama was stopped from making a similar appointment of a Supreme Court judge.
He said the party will be seeking declarative reliefs from the Court to reverse these appointment by the president.
He also accused the outgoing president of abusing his discretionary powers, insisting, such actions are unconstitutional.
The case will be heard on January 24, 2017
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