Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has expressed his support for the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to prioritize the case filed by South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, over Richard Dela Sky’s anti-LGBTQ+ suit.
He commended the NDC for raising concerns about the sequencing of the cases, emphasizing that it is important not to disregard the opposition party’s viewpoint solely because of its political affiliation.
Kpebu highlighted the significance of respecting diverse opinions in a democracy and emphasized that freedom of speech exists to protect even the most divergent viewpoints. He stressed the importance of acknowledging and addressing complaints raised by political parties, regardless of one’s agreement or disagreement with their stance.
The lawyer acknowledged that the issue of one case being heard before another has been an ongoing concern within the judicial process. He referenced a previous case involving former Auditor-General Daniel Domolevo, where the Supreme Court had expressed a desire to address delays in case hearings.
Kpebu suggested that the Supreme Court may have learned from past experiences and decided to address the issue of case delays proactively. He noted that criticism of the court’s handling of delays in previous cases may have influenced the court’s decision to prioritize certain cases to prevent similar delays from occurring in the future.
However, Kpebu also acknowledged that not all blame should be placed on the court, as lawyers also play a role in case delays due to various factors, including mistakes or procedural issues.
Overall, Kpebu emphasized the importance of considering and addressing concerns raised by all parties involved in the legal process to uphold the integrity and efficiency of the judicial system.