The Supreme Court has dismissed an interlocutory injunction application filed by Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, seeking to halt selected criminal trials being conducted during the ongoing legal vacation.
Justice Gabriel Pwamang, sitting as a single judge of the Supreme Court, dismissed the application on Friday, August 21, 2026. The decision clears the way for the affected trials to continue while the substantive constitutional case filed by the MP remains pending.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah had asked the apex court to suspend the operation of administrative warrants issued by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, which directed selected High Court judges to sit and hear criminal cases during the legal vacation.
The legal vacation runs from August 1 to September 30, 2026.
The MP, who is also a lawyer, has challenged the constitutionality of the Chief Justice’s decision, arguing that the selection of particular criminal cases for hearing during the vacation could amount to selective justice.
His substantive action invokes several provisions of the 1992 Constitution, including Articles 17 and 296, which concern equality and the exercise of discretionary powers. He is seeking declarations that the administrative warrants are unconstitutional, null and void.
In seeking the interlocutory injunction, Mr Oppong Nkrumah’s legal team argued that allowing the trials to proceed could prejudice accused persons, particularly in situations where proceedings continue despite the unavailability of defence lawyers.
The respondents, however, urged the court to reject the application. The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, argued that the Chief Justice’s administrative authority to issue warrants should be distinguished from the discretion individual judges exercise in managing cases.
The dismissal of the injunction does not, however, determine the substantive constitutional challenge.
The broader case concerning whether the Chief Justice acted within the constitutional limits of his administrative powers remains before the Supreme Court.
The ruling therefore allows the selected High Court criminal trials to continue during the current legal vacation pending the determination of the substantive suit.
