Civil society organizations to join Supreme Court case defending OSP powers
via GhanaWeb5 min read
A coalition of 12 civil society organizations CSOs plans to intervene as friends of the court in a Supreme Court case concerning the powers of Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor OSP. The CSOs intend to file an amicus curiae brief in a suit involving Noah Adamtey, asserting that their involvement is crucial to protect the OSP's constitutional standing against what they perceive as significant legal threats. They argue that undermining the OSP's prosecutorial authority could reverse progress in anti-corruption efforts and erode public trust. This intervention follows an April 15, 2026 ruling by the Accra High Court, which stated that the OSP requires prior approval from the Attorney-General to prosecute criminal cases independently and directed the transfer of ongoing OSP prosecutions. The OSP, established under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 Act 959, has rejected the High Court's decision, maintaining that only the Supreme Court can interpret constitutional provisions or invalidate an Act of Parliament, and is challenging the ruling. Kojo Asante of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development called for strengthening the OSP rather than restricting it. The coalition includes organizations such as IMANI Africa, Transparency International Ghana, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, and NORSAAC.
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