Supreme Court Quashes Arrest Warrant Against Kevin Taylor
Majority ruling nullifies 2020 arrest warrant issued against US-based broadcaster Kevin Taylor
- Supreme Court nullifies Kevin Taylor’s 2020 arrest warrant.
- Decision reached by a 4-1 majority of the justices
- Warrant was originally issued by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour
The Supreme Court has, in a 4-1 majority decision, overturned a bench warrant that was issued for the arrest of U.S.-based Ghanaian journalist Kevin Taylor.
The warrant, originally issued by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour in January 2020, has now been declared null and void following a legal challenge.
The ruling marks a significant legal victory for Taylor, who has long maintained that the warrant was unjust.
The Supreme Court’s decision brings an end to the years-long controversy surrounding the arrest order and reaffirms the principle of due process.
The Accra High Court in January 2020 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of social media commentator Kevin Ebo Taylor.
The warrant, issued on Thursday, January 16, 2020, by Justice Eric Kyei-Baffour directed Taylor to appear before the court and explain why he should not be jailed for contempt.
This followed a video he circulated on Facebook, which the court deemed offensive and injurious to the administration of justice.
Justice Kyei-Baffour issued the order ahead of the cross-examination of Eugene Baffour-Bonnie, a former Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and one of five individuals standing trial for allegedly embezzling $4 million from the NCA.
In the video, Taylor accused Justice Kyei-Baffour of being elevated to the Court of Appeal as a reward for allegedly doing the government’s bidding in the ongoing trial.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Kyei-Baffour described Taylor’s comments as scandalous and a direct attack on the judiciary, intended to incite public disaffection toward the court.
