Prominent Ghanaian activist and #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has taken legal action against what he describes as a troubling trend under the current John Dramani Mahama-led administration — the alleged misuse of “administrative bail” to sidestep the constitutional requirement to charge or release detained persons within 48 hours.
Barker-Vormawor, in a statement shared via social media, disclosed that he has joined forces with fellow legal practitioner Williams Agyei to file a case at the Supreme Court of Ghana. The legal challenge aims to put an end to what the duo claims is a growing abuse of power by law enforcement agencies using administrative bail as a means to prolong detention without due process.
“A couple of weeks ago, I disagreed with the current administration that law enforcement institutions can use ‘administrative bail’ to circumvent the 48-hour rule,” Barker-Vormawor wrote. “Some insulted. Others agreed. But the time has come to draw a legal line.”
According to Barker-Vormawor, the case now officially filed in the Supreme Court lists Williams Agyei as the plaintiff, with Barker-Vormawor serving as lead counsel. He recounted that the legal initiative was born out of several days of collaboration, research, and drafting — without financial backing or external support.
“We rolled up our sleeves. No sponsors. No applause. Just two lawyers, poring over drafts, fine-tuning arguments, holding the line,” he stated, adding that the move was driven purely by a shared sense of civic duty and professional integrity.
The activist emphasized the broader implications of the case, pointing out that the routine use of administrative bail as a substitute for formal court processes poses a serious threat to citizens’ constitutional rights.
“Silver and gold, I have none. All I have to give to this Ghana are my profession, my intellect, and my passion for change,” he wrote. “So that when you are arrested tomorrow, you will find liberty others fought to preserve.”
The Ghanaian Constitution guarantees that individuals arrested or detained by the state must be charged and presented before a court within 48 hours. However, civil society actors have raised growing concerns about law enforcement’s practice of placing individuals on indefinite administrative bail without prosecution, thereby denying them justice and prolonging uncertainty.
Source.
From Opera Newz
