By Emmanuel Bamfo 
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has issued a passionate appeal to Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to review the practice of arresting suspects on court premises. His call comes right after Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) operatives attempted to detain Manhyia South MP, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, outside the Accra High Court.
Speaking at a parliamentary press conference, Afenyo-Markin warned that laying in wait inside court precincts undermines the sanctity of the judiciary. He stressed that courts must remain safe spaces where citizens and lawyers access justice without fear of sudden harassment.
The incident unfolded after the Manhyia South MP finished representing a client as a legal practitioner in court. As he stepped out into the court yard, EOCO officers allegedly approached him to take him into custody.
Afenyo-Markin questioned whether investigative bodies now possess unrestricted freedom to ambush citizens within court yards. He insisted that such aggressive tactics desecrate the dignity of judicial spaces across Ghana.
The Minority Leader pointed out that law enforcement agencies bypassed long-standing constitutional protocols governing parliamentarians. Normally, agencies like the Ghana Police Service, EOCO, or the Office of the Special Prosecutor submit formal requests through the Speaker of Parliament.
The Speaker then coordinates with parliamentary leadership and the legal department to arrange an MP’s appearance smoothly. Bypassing this process to corner a lawmaker in public creates unnecessary institutional friction and damages democratic governance.
Afenyo-Markin urged the Chief Justice to issue clear directives stopping security agencies from turning court premises into arrest zones. Allowing this trend to continue will deter citizens from attending court proceedings to seek legal redress.
The Minority caucus expects the Judicial Council to set firm operational guidelines for law enforcement immediately. Upholding proper constitutional procedures protects both individual liberties and the integrity of Ghana’s legal system.
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