CDD, IMANI, 12 other CSOs file to join Supreme Court case challenging OSP Act

Fourteen leading civil society organisations in Ghana have applied to the Supreme Court of Ghana seeking permission to join a high-profile constitutional case challenging aspects of the country’s anti-corruption legal framework, specifically the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).

The application was filed on May 5, 2026, in the case of Adamtey v Attorney-General (Suit No. J1/3/2026), which is currently before the Supreme Court and seeks to test the constitutionality of key provisions that established the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

In a joint statement released on May 6, the organisations stressed that their involvement is grounded in public interest and constitutional principles rather than partisan or personal motivations.

“The Applicants take this opportunity to emphasise that their intervention is not partisan, adversarial, or personal to any party before the Court,” the statement said.

“It is motivated solely by a shared commitment to constitutionalism, accountable governance, anti-corruption, institutional integrity, and the preservation of independent public institutions established to serve the Republic.”

The coalition includes some of Ghana’s most prominent governance and policy advocacy institutions, such as:

• Ghana Centre for Democratic Development
• Transparency International Ghana
• Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition
• IMANI Africa
• Democracy Hub
• STAR-Ghana Foundation
• NORSAAC
• Penplusbytes
• ACEP
• Odekro
• A Rocha Ghana
• Parliamentary Network Africa
• One Ghana Movement
• Africa Education Watch

The groups noted that several of them were directly involved in the drafting and advocacy process that led to the passage of Act 959 in 2017, including engagements with Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

They argue that this historical involvement provides them with institutional memory and technical insight that could assist the Court in interpreting the law.

The organisations are applying to be joined as amici curiae—friends of the court—allowing them to present legal, policy, and comparative governance perspectives without becoming parties to the case.

They also praised the Supreme Court for what they described as its increasing openness to civil society participation in constitutional interpretation, saying this development strengthens democratic governance.

“The Court’s openness to structured civil society engagement in constitutional adjudication has, in recent years, enriched the deliberative record before it,” the statement added, describing it as evidence of “a maturing of constitutional practice in Ghana.”

If granted leave, the coalition says it will assist the Court with:

• Comparative international anti-corruption legal standards
• Institutional and governance analysis of the Special Prosecutor’s office
• Broader public interest and accountability arguments relevant to constitutional interpretation

  The applicants are represented by a legal team that includes:

  • Kizito Beyuo Esq.
  • Oliver Barker-Vormawor
  • Samson Lardy Anyenini
  • Clement Kojo Akapame Esq.

  The Supreme Court is yet to rule on whether the organisations will be admitted as amici curiae in the proceedings.

  The case is expected to have significant implications for Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture and the legal independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.