Writing letters to judges contemptuous – Supreme Court
Justice William Atuguba, President of the Supreme Court’s panel of judges hearing the election petition, on Wednesday warned the public to desist from writing unacceptable letters to the judges.
He said writing letters to a judge on a matter pending in court is contemptuous and the practice should cease.
Justice Atuguba made the comment when he drew the public’s attention to some developments that had come to the notice of the court, especially people writing letters to the judges.
He stated that in reality many Ghanaians did not understand the intricacies of the law profession. “A lay man is a lay man” he added.
He said nonetheless, the bench was serving public notice that writing to a judge on a matter pending in court was contemptuous and must cease.
Mr Philip Addison, lead Counsel for the Petitioners continued his cross-examination of Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, witness for the second Respondent.
He presented 10 different lists of pink sheets to Dr Afari Gyan to identify, which the witness confirmed to be unsigned pink sheet exhibits.
Dr Afari Gyan, however, made some observations that some of the exhibits being tendered also contained pink sheets which were signed at the instance of the Returning Officer.
Mr Addison said the caveat by the witness was of no consequence because the Petitioners case was that those were lists of unsigned pink sheets and that they could show clearly to the witness that the pink sheets had no signature on them.
He stated that for Dr Afari Gyan to now tell the court that he had some original copies which had been signed was immaterial to the petitioners case.
Mr Addison further suggested to witness that the exhibits tendered were not included in the list of 905 the EC claimed were unsigned.
Mr Addison also provided the witness with another list and asked him to identify if those were part of the 905 unsigned pink sheets.
Dr Afari Gyan answered by saying he could not carry a list of 905 polling stations in his head to cross check.
Mr Addison protested at the language used by Dr Afari Gyan. Justice Vida Akoto Bamfo intervened and reminded the witness that whatever answers he gave were to the court and not Mr Addison.
Consequently, Dr Afari Gyan rephrased the answer by saying that he could not remember those 905 polling stations off hand.
Source: GNA