Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, has stated that there is no business for anybody, including the courts, to consider in the legislative process of Parliament.
According to him, the courts have no jurisdiction over the House’s legislative processes, and Members of Parliament (MPs) who are considering bringing legal action against Parliament for the consideration of a bill or any enactment should refrain from doing so.
The Speaker made these statements after hearing arguments from both sides of the House about the Legislative Instrument (L.I) on cement price regulation, which was presented to the House on Tuesday by Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, questioned the Ghana Standards Authority’s legal authority to regulate cement pricing, citing the Ghana Standard Authority Act 2022, Act 10, and pointing out that he intended to explore other ways to stop the new L.I. from maturing.
However, the Speaker stated that such thoughts should not be entertained by any MP or Ghanaian, suggesting that until an enactment of Parliament is signed into law by the President, the judiciary has no jurisdiction to consider it.
“This is notice. We have to take this seriously or else our legislative authority is being taken away from us by other agencies and arms of government.
“That should be resisted by this house or else you being here is of no consequence. The law is very clear on this. And so until a bill is assented to, by the President, nobody has any business to take that process that is being considered by the House to the court,” the Speaker insisted.
Speaker Alban Bagbin has advised Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond, to withdraw the Legislative Instrument (L.I) on cement price regulation.
This advice follows constitutional arguments raised by former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
The L.I was laid before the House on July 2 and is expected to mature into law after 21 sitting days.
According to him, many concerns have been raised regarding the L.I and, therefore, it will be better for the minister to “withdraw and capture it in the appropriate language.”
“To come within the statutory limits that we have, it’s just advice, it’s not a directive,” the Speaker said.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House