Very courageous of Oppong Nkrumah to file case against Judiciary – Ishaq Ibrahim
By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Legal Directorate, Ishaq Ibrahim, has described as “very courageous” the decision by the Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, to challenge the Judiciary over the hearing of selected criminal cases during the 2026 legal vacation. Mr Ibrahim said it was particularly […]
Legal Directorate member, Ishaq Ibrahim, praised Member of Parliament Kojo Oppong Nkrumah for his courageous decision to challenge the Judiciary regarding the handling of criminal cases during Ghana's 2026 legal vacation. Mr Ibrahim noted the MP's bold move was particularly commendable given the Chief Justice, who heads the Judiciary, is at the center of the challenge.
He made the remarks on the radio show Current Agenda, following the Supreme Court's dismissal of the MP's attempt to halt the criminal trials. However, Austin Brako-Powers and Kwame Owusu-Danso, private legal practitioners, defended the MP's decision to pursue legal action. They argued that Oppong Nkrumah exercised his democratic right through the proper legal channels.
Brako-Powers and Owusu-Danso both congratulated the MP, emphasizing that expressing incompatible views through the courts is a cornerstone of democracy. The Supreme Court's recent ruling on August 21, 2026, dismissed Oppong Nkrumah's application for an interlocutory injunction, allowing the High Court criminal trials to proceed during the legal vacation.
Oppong Nkrumah filed the substantive case on August 14, contesting administrative warrants issued by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, which directed certain High Court judges to handle specific criminal cases during the vacation period. The legal vacation for Ghana's Superior Courts spans from August 1 to September 30 each year.
Oppong Nkrumah requested the Supreme Court to prevent the affected High Court judges from presiding over the trials until the substantive case was resolved, arguing that allowing the trials to continue could render his case invalid. Represented by private attorney Frank Davies, Oppong Nkrumah faced Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai for the respondents — Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie and Attorney-General.
The 2026 legal vacation arrangement has sparked debate within the legal community, especially concerning the decision to permit selected criminal cases to continue during the period. The Ghana Bar Association had previously communicated with the Chief Justice, expressing that attorneys were not obligated to appear before vacation courts and maintaining that the legal vacation was intended to provide much-needed rest for judges, lawyers, and judicial staff.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
