The Judicial Service has responded to a petition from Ningo Prampram MP Sam George, one of the advocates of the Pro-Family Values Bill, requesting an expedited hearing of the Supreme Court cases related to the bill. On October 8, the MP, along with various Christian organizations, appealed to the Judicial Service and the Attorney-General for a faster hearing of these Supreme Court cases.
The Service in response to the petition urged the parties involved in the cases to “attach the urgency to this case as shown in the petition and file the necessary processes for the cases to be heard.” The Service said the Apex Court can only hear the case when the positions of the parties have been stated.
According to the Service, the parties have elapsed the fourteen-day rule required for them to file their cases and have not yet still presented their cases. For the Supreme Court to hear any case, the parties are required to file their respective pleadings in the form of a statement of case within the timelines provided for by the Supreme Court Rules, 1996 (CJ 16). “As the two communications issued earlier stated, Parliament and the parties have not complied with the requirements that allow a trial of the case raised by the Plaintiffs,” the statement from the Judicial Service stated.
The Judicial Service further explained that although the Chief Justice has discretionary powers, it does not exceed the situation where the Chief Justice sets down a case for parties and renders judgment when the parties have not presented their cases before the court. “This process cannot be interfered with by the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice in her administrative capacity,” the statement added.
