Former Chief Justice calls for tighter controls on Supreme Court appeals
She said the apex court is being burdened by cases that could have ended earlier, especially appeals filed over procedural issues before the main case is even concluded.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo says Ghana must reduce the number of matters that travel all the way to the Supreme Court if the country wants to deal seriously with delays in the justice system.
According to her, the apex court is being burdened by cases that could have ended earlier, especially appeals filed over procedural issues before the main case is even concluded.
Speaking on Channel One TV on September 2, 2026, the former Chief Justice said interlocutory appeals were a major concern.
She explained that some parties take disputes to the Supreme Court while the substantive case is still pending before the High Court.
That, she said, slows down the original case and adds unnecessary pressure to the Supreme Court’s docket.
“Sometimes there are also some matters which come to the Supreme Court only on what is called an interlocutory appeal, which is so unnecessary and shouldn’t have come to the Supreme Court because the case itself might still be in the High Court,” she said.
Justice Akuffo said such appeals can remain before the Supreme Court for years, leaving the main dispute unresolved in the lower court.
She argued that not every case should have a direct route to the apex court.
According to her, many matters should end at the Court of Appeal unless they raise new questions of law or serious constitutional issues.
“A lot of other matters should end in the Court of Appeal if they don’t raise new issues or very sensitive constitutional issues,” she said.
Her comments add to ongoing discussions about judicial reform, court delays and the workload of the Supreme Court.t.
