Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah
The Supreme Court has cautioned Frank Davis, a member of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s legal team in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, against post trial interviews with the media.
The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah, said “…looking at Rule 38, the Court is not comfortable with the interviews granted by Mr Davis outside”.
“Rule 38 says a lawyer, who is involved in a case or has participated in an investigation or litigation of a matter that is still pending before a court, shall not make an out of court statement or grant an interview to the media on the matter.”
The Chief Justice said the Court was drawing his attention to the ethical infractions and that he had to advice himself accordingly.
He said anyone, other than Mr Davis, may grant media interviews but he (Davis) could not, due to his position as a member of the legal team.
The Court also appealed to lawyers, who were not in court, to remove their wigs during such interviews.
“And if you are a lawyer and you are not actively participating, please we passionately plead with you to put down your robes and grant the interview.”
Mr Davis, in response, said the advice was “faithfully taken”.
The Petitioner is in court to challenge the validity of the results that declared Nana Akufo-Addo as the winner of the election.
According to the petitioner, none of the 12 candidates in the 2020 December 7 Presidential race won more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
The apex court should, therefore, order the EC to conduct a second election for himself and the candidate of the New Patriotic Party.
GNA