The Human Rights Division of the High Court has dismissed an application filed by four private citizens against the Electoral Commission for the disclosure of details of over 32,000 voters the Commission has quarantined from the 2020 voters register.
The 32,621 registrations are said to have been put on a multiples and exceptions list for various infractions the registrants committed during the registration exercise.
The infractions included multiple registrations and other illegal practices such as minors and aliens registering.
The applicants; Alex Mintah of Darkuman, Accra, Rockson Konde Masun of Nyimbordo, Kpandai, Vivian Abla Kpeglo of West Adentan, Accra and Non-Governmental Organisation, Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana, sued the Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General demanding details of the multiple registrants and those on the exceptions list.
The applicants wanted the court to declare as without lawful basis, and or amounting to a violation of their right to information, the Electoral Commission’s refusal, failure or neglect to disclose the details.
They also wanted the court to compel the Electoral Commission to disclose the information.
But the Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Gifty Adjei Addo dismissed the application in its entirety following the Electoral Commission’s argument that the applicants had not properly requested the information as under section 18 of the Right to Information Law.
Justice Addo ruled on Thursday, December 3, 2020, that on the basis of the technicalities, the application was void and that the court’s jurisdiction had not been properly invoked.
