Private citizen drags Chief Justice, Attorney General to Supreme Court over legal vacation
A private citizen, Elorm Kwami Gorni, has sued Attorney General Dominic Ayine and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie at the Supreme Court over Ghana’s legal vacation arrangements.
Private individual Elorm Kwami Gorni has initiated legal action against Attorney General Dominic Ayine and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie at the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the annual suspension of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal sittings. The lawsuit, filed on July 28, 2026, seeks to determine if the two-month recess from August 1 to September 30 complies with the 1992 Constitution.
Gorni argues that the extended break undermines citizens' constitutional right to timely access to justice, as High Courts continue to operate through designated vacation courts. The plaintiff contends that the ongoing absence of the appellate courts could delay critical proceedings, including appeals, constitutional cases, stay of execution applications, interlocutory applications, and judicial reviews.
Gorni is requesting the Supreme Court to declare Rule 61(b) of the Court of Appeal Rules, 1997, and Rule 82 of the Supreme Court Rules, 1996, unconstitutional, as he believes they are inconsistent with various constitutional provisions. He emphasizes that his challenge is not about judges' entitlement to annual leave, but rather the manner in which their leave is organized.
The relief sought includes an order for the Chief Justice to consider alternative arrangements, such as rotational sittings, vacation panels, or staggered judicial leave, to ensure the continuous functioning of the courts while respecting judicial entitlements.
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