Parliament has approved the nomination of seven judges to the Supreme Court. The approval followed the adoption of a report by the 11-member Appointments Committee. While the Majority members of the committee voted in favor of all nominees, the Minority members opposed and voted against each nomination.
The approved justices, all currently serving on the Court of Appeal bench, 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.
Moving the motion for approval, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, urged unanimous adoption of the report, emphasizing the nominees’ outstanding competence, knowledge of the law, and adherence to judicial ethics. He stated that they demonstrated professionalism, clarity, and intellectual rigor in addressing the committee’s questions, assuring their capacity to uphold the integrity of the Supreme Court.
Inconsistency In Nomination Of Judges
Ahiafor, also the First Deputy Speaker, highlighted the Minority’s opposition, citing concerns that the appointment of seven new justices was inconsistent with the suspension of the Chief Justice and represented a reshaping of the constitutional order rather than simply filling vacancies. He also noted their view that the Supreme Court had previously remained silent when fundamental principles of natural justice were being violated.
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Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who was in support of the motion, affirmed that the President had acted constitutionally in appointing the Justices and that the nominees’ competence was undisputed. He assured the Minority Leader that all raised concerns had been addressed in the committee report.
However, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin opposed the motion, acknowledging the Justices’ qualifications but citing a “constitutional crisis” related to the Chief Justice’s suspension and the potential for reshaping the constitutional order. He stated the executive was “installing seven new Justices” while the Chief Justice was suspended through procedurally questionable processes. He argued that this move was not simply filling vacancies, but rather a fundamental reshaping of the constitutional order and that government was in a rush to conclude this process.
Minority Raises Constitutional Concerns Over Nominations
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin voiced strong opposition to the nomination of seven Justices to the Supreme Court, despite acknowledging their individual qualifications. He argued that the process itself was mired in a constitutional crisis.
“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,” Afenyo-Markin stated. He characterized the situation as “an Executive that suspends one Chief Justice, while simultaneously installing seven new Justices.”
Afenyo-Markin contended that this was not merely about filling vacancies, but rather an attempt to fundamentally reshape Ghana’s constitutional order. He suggested the government’s haste to approve the nominations, despite a lack of urgency in laying the report, indicated an Executive overreach that could undermine the independence of the Judiciary.
Previous Appointments Under Scrutiny
Adding to the debate, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, MP for Tamale Central, highlighted the significant number of judicial appointments made during the previous eight years under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. He noted that Akufo-Addo appointed 15 Supreme Court Justices, 48 Court of Appeal Justices, and 113 High Court Justices.
“Mr. Speaker, after making all these appointments, in the dying days of the tenure as President, Mr. Akufo-Addo anticipated that some Justices would be retiring and he then brought nominations to this House in order that when they retired, he would still have the numbers that he wanted to have on the Bench,” Dr. Muhammed explained.
Background to the Nominations
These discussions surround President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of seven Court of Appeal Justices for appointment to the Supreme Court bench. The nominations were made in accordance with Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution and formally announced via a letter dated April 29, 2025, from the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, to acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
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