Supreme Court to hear final appeal of Trudeau government’s invocation of Emergencies Act

The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has cautioned against permitting the suspension of the criminal trial for Hanan Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu, as it could enable accused individuals to delay court proceedings by contesting the charges. This warning emerged following a Supreme Court appeal by the Republic against the Court of Appeal's decision to suspend proceedings in the High Court.

Dr Srem-Sai made these remarks in a Facebook post on October 22, 2026, the day after the Court of Appeal issued its order suspending the proceedings. He argued that merely having a complaint about the charges on the charge sheet should not be enough reason to suspend a criminal trial, especially when the trial court has already dismissed those objections.

The Deputy Attorney-General firmly stated that if the Court of Appeal's decision is upheld, it would essentially make it impossible to proceed with any prosecution, as the mere complaint about charges would suffice to suspend a trial. He reiterated that the state's challenge is grounded in the belief that the law does not support suspending criminal trials under such conditions.

The Court of Appeal halted the High Court proceedings on October 19, 2026, pending the determination of Hanan Aludiba's appeal against alleged defects in the charge sheet. The defence team has raised objections to multiple aspects of the charges presented against the accused persons. The Supreme Court is now set to review the state's objection to the suspension order, with its decision potentially determining whether the Court of Appeal's order remains in effect. Meanwhile, the primary criminal case continues to be heard by the lower courts.