Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood
Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood and Justice Nasiru Sulemana Gbadegbe have recused themselves from the contempt case involving panelists of an Accra based radio station, Montie FM.
The two said they were recusing themselves because they were specifically named in the contempt comments that brought before the Supreme Court a communicator of the governing NDC and others.
Announcing the decision, the Chief Justice said one of the pillars on which justice relies on which is of fundamental importance is that justice must not just be done but manifestly seen to be done.
Since the two justices were directly mentioned in the threats against the judges, it was only proper that they recuse themselves.
Two radio panelists on a political discussion programme on Montie FM, a radio station owned and operated by a Vice Chairman of the NDC, Harry Zakour, threatened the lives of some judges.
Godwin Ako Gunn and Alistair Nelson were unhappy that the court appeared to be upholding arguments of politicians Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako.
Mr. Ramadan and Mr Nimako’s case was that the electoral roll is flawed because it contained names of persons who used health insurance cards to register to vote.
The Supreme Court had in a 2014 case held that the use of the card was unlawful since the card was not sufficient proof of a person’s citizenship.
In a subsequent case, the Court ordered the removal from the voters’ register, names of persons who used the health insurance card to register as voters.
The decisions of the court was perceived by the radio panelists as furthering the interests of the opposition New Patriotic Party which had been arguing for a new electoral roll.
They therefore threatened to kill the judges and also made comments said to be unsavory against them.
-Myjoyonline