Parliament Approves 7 New Justices for Supreme Court
Accra, Ghana - 25 June, 2025 - Ghana's Parliament has approved the appointment of seven new justices to the Supreme Court. The approved justices are Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbeil Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Adzua Bartels-Kodwo, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, and Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo.
The approval followed the adoption of the report of the 11-member Appointments Committee, which vetted the nominees.
The committee's chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, who is also the First Deputy Speaker, noted that the nominees demonstrated outstanding competence, deep knowledge of the law, and a firm grasp of judicial ethics.
“The committee is satisfied that the nominees possess the requisite qualifications, judicial temperament and commitment to constitutional values expected of justices of the Supreme Court,” he said.
“The committee, therefore, recommends to the House, by majority decision, the adoption of this report and the approval of the nominees,” Mr Ahiafor added.
The Minority members of the committee opposed and voted against the nomination of all the justices, citing concerns about the timing of the appointments and the suspension of the Chief Justice.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader argued that the appointment of seven new justices was inconsistent with the suspension of the Chief Justice and that it was not about filling vacancies but reshaping the constitutional order.
“Even as we debate these appointments, our Chief Justice sits suspended through procedurally questionable processes that make a mockery of Articles 146 and 296 of our Constitution.
“Let us be abundantly clear about what we are witnessing; it is an Executive that suspends one Chief Justice, while simultaneously installing seven new Justices,” the Minority Leader averred.
“It is the reason why, without any urgency, the report was laid today and the government is in a rush to take this report and use its might in numbers to approve it,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
However, the Majority members voted in favor of all the nominees, and the committee recommended their approval to the House. The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, supported the motion, stating that the nominees were qualified, capable, and competent.
“Mr Speaker, on the basis of the committee’s recommendation, I do not think we should belabour the point about whether or not we should approve these nominees.
“They are obviously qualified, capable, competent and will do the work. I want to assure the Minority Leader that all the questions he had asked have been answered in the report,” Mr Ayariga said.
The approved justices currently serve on the Court of Appeal bench and were nominated by President John Dramani Mahama in accordance with Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution. The nominations were announced through a letter dated April 29, 2025.
The appointment of the seven new justices is expected to strengthen the Supreme Court and enhance its ability to handle complex cases. The new justices will play a crucial role in shaping the country's jurisprudence and upholding the rule of law.
Source: Lead News Online
