The Supreme Court has said that Deputy Speakers of Parliament retain their votes even when presiding as Speaker.
The Apex Court of the land made this landmark ruling Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
Per the ruling, when a matter comes before Parliament that requires voting, a Deputy Speaker while presiding in the absence of the substantive Speaker can also vote on the matter.
Private Legal Practitioner and Law Lecturer, Justice Abdulai invited the Supreme Court to pronounce as unconstitutional, the decision by the Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu’s action of counting himself for the purposes of quorum.
Justice Abdulai argued in the context of articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution that the Deputy Speaker was not permitted to count himself for the purposes of quorum, since he had neither an original nor a casting vote as Speaker presiding.
However, the 7-member Panel of Justices ruled that the Member of Parliament for Bekwai exercised his right constitutionally.
They include Justices Jones Dotse, Nene Amegatcher, Prof Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Lovelace Johnson, Clemence Honyenuga, and Emmanuel Kulendi.
The ruling therefore affirms the position of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu.
He had earlier insisted that he did nothing wrong by counting himself to form a quorum to approve the 2022 Budget, although he was presiding as Speaker in the stead of Alban Bagbin.
