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Parliament Cannot Do “Whatever It Likes”
Sam Okudzeto, a renowned lawyer and member of the Council of State has said that the Parliament of Ghana has no absolute power to do “anything that they like.”
He maintains that it is a wrong perception that the august House has all the supremacy to perform functions without question.
Okudzeto said that Parliament has the prerogative to make laws in accordance with the spirit and letter of the constitution.
“There’s some wrong perception that Parliament can do anything they like; they don’t have such power. There are certain powers that are limited to the President alone. There are rights given to Parliament to make laws; but if the laws are inconsistent with the constitution, the court will declare it to be null and void,” Okudzeto said on Asaase Radio’s The Big Bulletin.
“That’s all separation of powers is about. If you understand constitutional law, it talks about checks and balances. And constitutional law makes it clear that there must be checks and balances. It means that one has power but that power is not absolute; there are limits to it. The President has powers but those powers are not limitless and if he goes beyond it, he can be checked,” Okudzeto told show host Beatrice Adu.
