Supreme Court dismisses Barker-Vormawor’s interpretation request

The Supreme Court has dismissed a request by Oliver Barker-Vormawor for the High Court to refer constitutional questions for interpretation.

The decision, delivered on December 11, 2024, came in a 4-1 majority ruling by a panel of five justices.

Barker-Vormawor’s legal team argued that conflicting interpretations of Article 3(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 18(3) of Act 29 necessitated a referral to the Supreme Court. They claimed these provisions could lead to inconsistent punishments for similar actions.

Despite the state’s absence during the hearing and lack of opposition filings, the Court ruled that Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh of the High Court acted rightly in refusing the referral.

Justice Emmanuel Yonni Kulendi dissented, with his reasons to be published on December 16, 2024.

This decision follows an earlier dismissal of Barker-Vormawor’s application challenging the High Court’s jurisdiction.