Nana Dr. SKB Asante cautions Constitutional Review Commission

By William Yaw Owusu


Wednesday March 17, 2010
Nana Dr. Susubiribi Krobea Asante, a former president of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and an expert in constitutional law has asked the Constitutional Review Commission to “exercise caution” in its attempt to review the 1992 Republican Constitution.

“We should be careful in our bid to review the constitution. We should be able to preserve the landscapes and not uproot all the trees so that core values of constitutional democracy will be deepened.”

Nana Dr. S.K.B Asante gave the advice when he chaired the 5th Re Akoto Memorial lectures organized by the students of Ghana School of Law to mark its 51st Law Week celebrations under the theme “Upholding fundamental human rights: Role of the law student.”

He said “in the past few weeks a number of developments have taken place and I am struck by one thing; there is hardly any reference to the merits and strength of our constitution.”

“A constitutional review has to bring out the strengths of the system. It should include an examination of strengths and merits. We should not take the strengths and merits of the constitution for granted,” he added.

Nana Krobea Asante said provisions such as the right to exercise ones’ franchise, freedom of the media and speech and the independence of the Electoral Commission as well as the judiciary which are all guaranteed by the constitution are landmark developments that are helping to promote multi-party democracy.

“There are certain provisions in the constitution that has allowed multi-party democracy which is rare in many African countries to flourish in Ghana and we work to deepen it.”

“This 1992 Republican Constitution is the most elaborate statement on the protection of human rights that this country has ever had and we should be careful in our calls for amendment.”

“Our constitution is something to be respected and the review should deepen the core values rather than devalue it.”

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