- The Minority caucus walked out during Parliament’s consideration of the Tribunals Bill, 2026, on July 16.
- Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised concerns about due process, fair hearing and parliamentary dialogue.
- The bill concerns the legal framework for tribunals under Article 126 of the 1992 Constitution.
The Minority caucus in Parliament walked out during consideration of the Tribunals Bill, 2026, on Thursday, July 16, citing objections to the proposed legislation and alleging that the Majority was relying on its numbers to proceed without adequate dialogue.
Speaking to journalists after leaving the chamber, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the New Patriotic Party caucus believed the proposed tribunal framework could weaken protections for fair hearing and due process. He said the concerns were not limited to the Minority, referring to objections he said had also been raised by organised labour and legal stakeholders.
The bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the constitution, composition, jurisdiction and administration of tribunals established under Article 126 of the 1992 Constitution. The government’s position, as reported by MyJoyOnline, is that the measure would modernise the tribunal system, improve access to justice and provide for specialised adjudication in cases assigned under the Constitution or other laws.
Concerns over process and safeguards
Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that Parliament should make room for consensus-building on legislation with constitutional implications. He said the Minority concluded that further debate would not affect the outcome after what he described as a decision by the Majority to press ahead with the bill.
He also referred to Ghana’s past experience with tribunals during the Provisional National Defence Council era, saying that history should inform current debate over any new tribunal regime. These were claims and arguments made by the Minority Leader; the report did not include a response from the Majority Leader or the government to them.
Some legal figures, organised labour representatives and governance advocates have expressed reservations about aspects of the bill, according to the source material. Their concerns include the need to protect judicial independence, fair-hearing guarantees and due process should a tribunal system be established.
Attendance allegation
The Minority Leader further alleged that the Majority did not have sufficient members present earlier in the day and that proceedings had been suspended to allow members to be mobilised. He claimed that 113 Majority members were present when the House resumed, and challenged journalists to verify the figure.
The supplied report does not provide independently verified attendance records or a response to that allegation from parliamentary authorities or the Majority caucus.
After the Minority’s walkout, Parliament continued consideration of the Tribunals Bill, 2026. The source material does not provide a full account of the final stage reached in the legislative process during that sitting.
