Parliament’s Appointments Committee has recommended the approval of three nominees for appointment to the Supreme Court.
The nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr. Their approval would increase the number of justices on Ghana’s apex court from 18 to 21.
The committee’s recommendation followed a tense sitting on Thursday, August 27, during which the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, raised a preliminary objection to the procedure and timetable adopted for the vetting which led to the Minority walking out.
The walkout took place after a prolonged objection by Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who argued that the process was being rushed without sufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny and public participation.
He rejected claims that the Minority side was opposed to the nominees or President John Dramani Mahama’s constitutional authority to nominate persons for appointment to the apex court but was quick to add that his side’s opposition stemmed from the decision to complete the process within the remaining days of Parliament’s emergency recall.
The Minority argued that the Supreme Court was functioning with its full complement of justices and that there was, therefore, no vacancy requiring an urgent appointment.
The Committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, subsequently rejected the objection and ruled that the committee could proceed with the vetting without the Minority side.
Mr Ahiafor described the Minority’s grounds as “flimsy”, “hollow” and “baseless”, according to reports of the sitting.
