{
  "id": 9537662,
  "title": "THE LAW 101: Arresting an MP: Immunity, Impunity, or a Constitutional Shield for Parliament?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/the-law-101-arresting-an-mp-immunity-impunity-or-a-constitutional",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T09:42:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/the-law-101-arresting-an-mp-immunity-impunity-or-a-constitutional-shield-for-parliament/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On 23rd September, 2026, the attempted arrest of Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the MP for Manhyia South, at the Accra High Court reignited a constitutional debate about when and how MPs can be arrested. The article seeks to clarify four key questions that are often confused: MP immunity, Speaker's permission, warrantless arrest, and lawful exercise of arrest power in a specific case. The Constitution of Ghana, in Article 117, states that civil or criminal process cannot be served on a Speaker or an MP while they are attending any parliamentary proceedings. The article emphasizes that this article does not grant MPs immunity from the criminal law or prevent them from being investigated. It also highlights Article 17, which guarantees equality before the law and prohibits unequal protection or privileges. The balance between protecting Parliament and individual MPs lies in the Constitution, which provides specific protections without extending them to MPs beyond what is constitutionally allowed. The controversy surrounding the arrest of Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah stems from the question of whether MPs can be arrested even when committing an offence, without the Speaker's permission or a warrant. The article discusses the distinction between notification and permission, as well as the power of police to arrest without a warrant in certain circumstances.",
  "summary": "The attempted arrest of the MP for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the Accra High Court today, 23rd September, 2026, has revived an old but important constitutional question: when, how and in what circumstances may a Member of Parliament be arrested? I have a particular interest in this question. In 2021, I issued […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "THE LAW 101: Arresting an MP: Immunity, Impunity or a Constitutional Shield for Parliament?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/the-law-101-arresting-an-mp-immunity-impunity-or-a-constitutional",
        "published": "2026-09-23T22:20:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}