ELECTION LEGISLATION REFORM

A letter from prominent citizens in SN last Friday called for consultation on electoral reforms. But drafting of the bill may have already commenced requiring the publication of the SOPs by GECOM immediately upon receipt and the creation of appropriate offences with severe penalties for election staff who violate election rules.

A BOLD, COMPELLING AND ERUDITE ANALYSIS

The decision of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire (CJ) is a bold, compelling and erudite analysis of the law relating to the interpretation of what the public now knows as Section 22 and Order 60. These refer to Section 22 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act and Order 60 of 2020 made by the Elections Commission […]

LEAVING BEHIND – THE YEAR OF THE HALF PERSON

By this time, the year of the half person would have passed. It took three courts to finally resolve this jurisprudential conundrum. The argument advanced to overturn the no confidence vote of 33/32 against the Government on 21 December, 2018, was that while mathematically, half of 65 members of the National Assembly is 32½, the […]

ELECTIONS PETITIONS

Last Thursday, two elections petitions, which were filed shortly after the elections results were declared on August 2, were heard before the Chief Justice. The elections petitions were fixed for what is called a case management conference. This is a routine procedure in civil matters in the High Court. It is a preparatory stage to […]