Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has charged Mr Philip Addison, the Lead Counsel for the Petitioners in the election petition, to check his emotions in court. “I think that Addison must try and control his emotions. He’s human but he must try,” Baako admonished. Kwaku Baako was speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis programme News File on Saturday. On Wednesday June 12, Supreme Court Judge Baffoe Bonnie asked Mr Addison to “keep quiet” when he (Baffoe Bonnie) was talking. Justice Baffoe Bonnie also warned Mr. Addison to mind his language when addressing the Court. The warning came after Mr. Addison had said in court that he neither trusted the legal teams of the respondents nor their witnesses. Mr. Addison said these when Electoral Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan requested for the Petitioners’ print-out of what they purported to be the 2012 voters’ register. Dr Afari-Gyan wanted to be given the Petitioners’ voter’s register for one day to ascertain whether it was genuine. But Addison blurted, “…I don’t trust them one bit…the document can be in the custody of the Court, I will not let them take this document away”. The outburst met with the displeasure of the Bench. One of the nine Justices hearing the case, Mr. Baffoe- Bonnie, then called Mr Addison to order, asking him to be circumspect with his choice of words and behaviour in court. There were similar reprimands from other members of the Bench as well. President of the panel of Judges, Justice William Atuguba, asked the Court to bear witness to the “clean slate” given to every lawyer. But he indicated the Bench would descend on misbehaving counsel in the coming days. Kwaku Baako’s advice to Mr Addison has been for him to always check his emotion in Court even if it proves difficult.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:59:17 +0000
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