Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has criticised the abuse of parliamentary immunity, warning that measures will be taken to correct and prevent its misuse.
In a Facebook post, Dr Srem-Sai addressed concerns over the misuse of MPs’ constitutional protection against defamation lawsuits, emphasising that this privilege exists to enhance good-faith parliamentary debate rather than serve as a shield for false or malicious commentary.
“The Constitution grants MPs some protection against defamation suits. By the law literature, the purpose of this protection is to enhance the quality of GOOD FAITH parliamentary debate. The protection is not a security for false or malicious commentary,” he wrote.
According to Dr Srem-Sai, an unnamed MP had exploited this protection by making false and damaging statements in Parliament, creating public disaffection toward individuals.
“Sadly, an MP has chosen to abuse this protection by using the premises of Parliament to peddle malicious falsehoods, which has resulted in creating public disaffection and opprobrium for persons. That, clearly, defeats the purpose of the constitutional protection,” he added.
Dr Srem-Sai also refuted claims that former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison, was mistreated during a National Security search of his residence.
He asserted that Dr Addison had legal representation throughout the process and that the search was conducted cordially and within court-authorised terms.
“Dr Addison had access to legal counsel and representation throughout the search. The search was conducted in line with the terms of the court authorisation; and cordially,” he stated.
The Deputy Attorney General reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the misuse of parliamentary privileges, stressing that such abuses will be corrected to ensure a healthy democratic environment.
“Such abuse of MPs’ constitutional protection will be corrected and remedied for the healthy growth of our democracy,” he concluded.
This statement signals a possible legal or parliamentary intervention to ensure that constitutional protections for MPs are not exploited for misinformation or personal attacks.
Source: 3news
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