Parliament approves three Supreme Court nominees

Three new nominees for Ghana’s Supreme Court have secured parliamentary approval after a process that was marked by disagreement over the speed and procedure used for their vetting.

The approved nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr.

Their approval follows Parliament’s adoption of the Appointments Committee’s report recommending them for appointment to the apex court.

President John Dramani Mahama had nominated the three in consultation with the Judicial Council, after which their names were submitted to Parliament for consideration.

The approval brings them closer to assuming office as Justices of the Supreme Court, subject to the completion of the remaining constitutional formalities.

The process, however, was not without controversy.

The Minority Caucus objected strongly to what it described as the fast-tracking of the vetting.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin argued that the nominations were being processed at unusual speed, even though there was no vacant seat on the Supreme Court requiring urgent replacement.

He said the Minority was not challenging the qualifications of the nominees or the President’s power to nominate persons for appointment to the Supreme Court.

According to him, the concern was about the procedure adopted by the Appointments Committee and the limited time allowed for scrutiny.

The objection was rejected by the committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, who ruled that the vetting should proceed.

Mr Ahiafor described the Minority’s grounds as “flimsy”, “hollow” and “baseless.”

The Minority subsequently walked out of the committee sitting.

The Majority side continued the vetting and later recommended the nominees for approval by the House.

Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah currently serves on the Court of Appeal and has considerable experience within the Judiciary.

She had previously been nominated to the Supreme Court in 2024, but that process was not completed before the change in administration.

Justice Edward Amoako Asante is also a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

He previously served as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, where he gained experience in regional and international judicial work.

Anthony Forson Jnr. is a private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association.

His nomination adds a candidate from private legal practice and professional leadership to the Supreme Court bench.

The three are expected to take the required oath before formally assuming office.