ICC President calls on Speaker Bagbin
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Justice Piotr Hofmański on Tuesday, September 27, paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin at his office in Accra.
The official visit forms part of Justice Piotr Hofmański’s official working visit to the country.
In his welcome remarks , Rt Hon Bagbin outlined the efforts being made in the country to domesticate the instruments of the Rome Statute to give effect to Ghana’s obligations under international law.
“I have written to the Attorney-General and requested that the draft domestic legislation on the International Criminal Court be submitted to the House without further delays,”Speaker Bagbin said.
He added that “there is no need to tarry with the bill when it is one of the urgent instruments we need to enact in our country”.
Ghana drafted the International Criminal Court Bill in 2016 but the bill has not been passed to domesticate the Rome Statute and give effect to Ghana’s obligations under the Rome Statute.
The Speaker therefore assured the ICC President of his resolve to see to the passage of the bill before his tenure as speakers ends in January 2025.
World leaders, he said must appreciate the benefits associated with a rule-based world order and do all they can to champion the rule of law.
Speaker however charged the ICC leadership to work hard to erase the perception that the ICC only targets African countries especially when there is evidence showing majors crimes being perpetrated by leaders in other continents.
For his part, ICC President Justice Piotr Hofmański called for a global action to increase the jurisdiction of the court in order to address the many challenges and criticisms facing the institution.
He said the institution has made significant progress at broadening their investigations and jurisdiction but said there is room for more work in that regard.
He commended Ghana’s 8th parliament under Speaker Bagbin and the efforts it is making to refresh the legal regime in Ghana.
The ICC President will deliver a public lecture at the law faculty of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) as part of his activities for the three-day tour .
Source: expressnewaghana.com
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