Whew! The legal year may be drawing to a close in just two months, but the legal calendar remains packed with activity. Beginning tomorrow, the University of Ghana School of Law kicks off its 50th Law Week celebration—a remarkable milestone. Meanwhile, in just over a month, the maiden edition of Law week by the Greater Accra Bar will commence, promising another season of rich legal engagement. And while many anticipate 31st July 2025 when the legal year concludes, significant legal developments continue to unfold…
Lawyers in the news.
Prof. Peter Atupare. A prominent legal academic has been elevated to deanship of the university of Ghana School of Law. Professor Atupare’s distinguished trajectory is widely acknowledged within the legal community. Perhaps we may have to celebrate his scholarly contributions to the legal proffession in another column. Professor Atupare has a very rich academic and professional credentials, with qualifications from the University of Ghana; Brock University and Queen’s University.
His areas of expertise include Constitutional law, human rights law and jurisprudence.
It is fair to say that he really deserves this appointment. For now, we say ayekoo to him. Hopefully he continues in the good works of his predeccesor, Prof. Raymond Atuguba.
Now to the other news
Chairman Wontumi and EOCO
Last week began with a major legal development as Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, Ashanti regional chairman of the main opposition party, found himself in custody at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over alleged criminal infractions.
According to Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, Chairman Wontumi is under investigation for multiple offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering.
Under Ghanaian law, individuals suspected of crimes against the Republic are typically invited for questioning and may be detained, but must be granted bail within 48 hours.
That constitutionaly sanctioned procedure was followed in Wontumi’s case — however, the bail condition, set in his case amounted to a staggering GHS 50million (with a requirement for justification) generated considerable discussion. Some commentators have raised issues with the appropriateness or reasonableness of the bail condition or bail sum, with some suggesting that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) reconsiders staggering bail sum in future arrest.
Under our laws, bail conditions sums or bail conditions are fixed upon the consideration of number of factors, including the nature of the offence, the severity of the punishment upon conviction and the nature of evidence in support of the charge or accusation. And in appropriate cases, the courts or the police including EOCO can have regard to the amount or value of properties under investigation.
There is the view that if the lawyers of Wontumi found the bail sum or conditions to have been excessive, they should have timeously applied to the High Court for a variation or reduction.
Ibrahim Mahama Sues Bright Simons
Also making headlines this week, business magnate Ibrahim Mahama filed a defamation suit against policy analyst Bright Simons.
Filed at general jurisdiction division of the High Court, the suit demands:
- A full retraction and public apology, to be published on the same platforms used for the alleged defamation and in the Daily Graphic for six consecutive editions.
- A perpetual injunction restraining Simons and his associates from making further defamatory statements.
- GH¢10 million in damages, plus legal costs.
The lawsuit stems from statements allegedly suggesting Mahama and E&P used political influence to interfere with the renewal of Gold Fields’ Damang Mine lease, portraying them as having unfairly benefited because of mere political connections.
Torkornoo’s Injunction Denied
In another high-profile matter, the apex Court of Ghana, the Supreme Court, has unanimously dismissed an injunction application filed by suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkornoo.
Justice Torkornoo had sought to restrain the Pwamang Committee — currently considering three petitions for her potential removal — from proceeding with its hearings on stated grounds. However, a five-member panel led by Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie found the application to be without merit.
The upshot is that the Pwamang Committee would to continue its work unimpeded. It is believed by may legal analysts and experts that the ruling by the Supreme Court on the application brought by Justice Torkornoo was not surprising and was expected; not only because it follows the trajectory of recent decisions on similar applications but that same was consistent with the trite position of the courts in this country and within other Common Law jurisdictions: to exercise lots of restraint in making interlocutory injunction orders to stop the performance of Constitutional duties, except in very exceptional circumstances, which per the ruling of the Supreme Court Justice Torkornoo failed to establish one.
Trump Loses Tariff Case in U.S. Trade Court
On the international front, The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Court of International Trade delivered another legal blow to former President Donald Trump. A three-judge panel unanimously struck down Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on goods from nearly every country.
The court ruled that the law governing presidential emergency powers does not grant unbounded authority to impose global tariffs, as Trump had attempted. Notably, two of the three judges on the panel were appointed by Republican presidents — one by Trump himself.
Though a higher court has temporarily stayed the ruling, the decision marks a significant moment in the legal pushback against expansive executive authority on trade.
