Supreme Court Quashes Arrest Warrant Against Kevin Taylor 

The Supreme Court of Ghana has, in a 4-1 majority decision, quashed a bench warrant issued in January 2020 by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour for the arrest of Ghanaian-American social commentator, Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor.

The warrant, which attracted both domestic and international attention, stemmed from a contempt summons issued by Justice Kyei Baffour then sitting as a High Court judge over comments made by Kevin Taylor on his online programme, With All Due Respect. 

In the said video, Kevin Taylor had alleged that Justice Kyei Baffour’s elevation to the Court of Appeal was politically motivated, suggesting the judge had acted in the interest of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration during the trial of former National Communications Authority (NCA) board members accused of misappropriating $4 million.

Describing Taylor’s video as scandalous, Justice Kyei Baffour ruled that the social commentator had impugned the integrity of the judiciary. 

He issued a warrant directing law enforcement to arrest Taylor, who resides in the United States, and bring him before the court to answer for contempt.

However, in today’s ruling, the Supreme Court held that the bench warrant constituted a violation of due process and that Justice Kyei Baffour acted outside the bounds of judicial discretion. The majority of justices expressed concern that the warrant had the potential to suppress free expression and undermine judicial impartiality.

While the Court’s detailed reasoning is expected to be released in full later this week, the majority opinion emphasized the need to balance respect for the judiciary with constitutional protections of speech and fair procedure.