Ghana’s Supreme Court allows suit to move forward that could block GMO crop commercialization

The Supreme Court has shot down an attempt by the Ghana National Farmers and Fishermen Association (GNAFF) to quash a recent High Court ruling in the ongoing GMO legal battle.

The highest court of the land ruled that the High Court was right in a May 2019 decision that it had the jurisdiction to continue hearing the case.

[Editor’s note: See this article from Cornell’s Alliance for Science for background on the case.]

The original case has been pending at the High Court, Human Rights Division in Accra, since February 2015 when it was first filed by civil society group, Food Sovereignty Ghana, and three other groups.

They are seeking among others a declaration that ongoing processes by various government agencies to commercialize Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are illegal.

Related on the SLP

No related posts.

Viewpoint: Democratic tsunami: As the red tide recedes, here are the most likely shifts in food and agricultural policy

$7.35 billion PFAS settlement: 3M to pay people who blame health problems on ‘forever chemicals’ phased out of firefighting foam for more than 20 years

Collagen supplements are not a wrinkle-reducing silver bullet, but they sure cost a lot

…

GNAFF raised a number of objections before the High Court including a claim that the legal action is pre-mature because the Biosafety Act makes room for grievance settlement processes at the level of a board and appeal’s tribunal.

GNAFF says without exhausting those procedures, the High Court should not be entertaining the legal suit. But the High Court disagreed and ruled the case can proceed.

Read full, original article: Supreme Court shoots down attempt to quash High Court ruling in GMO case