Nominated Supreme Court Judges Referred to Appointments Committee

Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has referred seven justices nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to the Supreme Court to the Appointments Committee.

The committee will vet and assess the nominees before they report to the plenary, the Speaker tasked on May 27 during parliamentary sittings.

This is in accordance with Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution.

The Speaker tasked the leadership of the Judiciary Committee and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to join the Appointments Committee in vetting the nominees.

The seven include Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo and Justice Hafisata Amaleboba.

If all nominees are approved, the SC will have 19 justices.

This move has been widely criticized by the public. One of the critics was Legal practitioner, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, known as Kwaku Azar.

In a post, Kwaku Azar expressed deep concerns at the development stating that the country is not in need of a ballooned bench but one that is well equipped and independent to deliver.

“We do not need a bloated bench. We need a credible, well-resourced, and independent SC. GOGO calls for restraint, fidelity to constitutional procedures, and a renewed focus on real reform—not symbolic expansion.”

In his observation, the integrity of the country’s judiciary is being sacrificed on the altar of political expedience or damage control.

Among his concerns- which he was quick to add that didn’t bother on the qualifications of the nominees-was the implication of holding such a large bench.

According to him, a bench of nineteen justices raises serious concerns about judicial effectiveness.

Kwaku Azar suggested that rather than increasing SC judges, the government must redirect the resources toward judicial infrastructure, training, case automation, and professional support systems—reforms that would directly improve justice delivery for the ordinary person.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini