Former Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has clarified that the court must ensure that everyone has the right to be heard, and if one party is absent, the court must proceed with its ruling.

The Supreme Court of Ghana, in a majority decision, has ruled that Speaker Alban Bagbin's declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant is unconstitutional.

The 5-2 decision, delivered at a brief court sitting on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, has reversed the Speaker's decision, which declared the four seats vacant after the incumbents filed to contest as independent candidates in the upcoming December polls.

However, the judgment was given in the absence of the lawyers of the Speaker of Parliament.