The National Democratic Congress (NDC) claims the Judicial Council unanimously resisted what it describes as a reckless scheme by President Akufo-Addo and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to promote five judges to the Supreme Court.
According to General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, despite the Council’s strong warning, the Chief Justice and the President connived to clandestinely go ahead with their scheme.
This, Mr Kwetey and the NDC believe is an orchestrated attempt by President Akufo-Addo to pack the Supreme Court with judges sympathetic to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Our unimpeachable sources tell us that the Judicial Council however, unanimously stood against the reckless schemes of both the President and the Chief Justice. We are further informed that all the members of the Judicial Council rejected the proposal, citing poor and dangerous timing, especially with the general elections only six months away.
“Members of the Judicial Council insisted that the next government be given the opportunity to consider the arguments for the expansion in the number of Supreme Court Justices, if at all necessary,” he said.
The concern comes days after a letter by the Chief Justice to the President was circulated on both traditional and social media.
In the May 30, 2024 dated letter, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo had asked President Akufo-Addo to nominate five judges to the Supreme Court.
Among the judges recommended is Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, the current judge presiding over the controversial ambulance procurement trial involving NDC MP and Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
The four other judges are Justice Cyra Pamela Koranteng, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuour, and Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s head office in Accra on Thursday, Mr Kwetey noted that the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has also raised an alarm on the modus operandi of appointing these five judges to the apex court.
He noted that “President Akufo-Addo with the connivance of the Chief Justice, had sought to hide his attempt to further pack the Supreme Court, under the guise of a proposal for a minimum ceiling of 20 judges on Ghana’s Supreme Court bench.”
Mr Kwetey further indicated that the Chief Justice has no constitutional right to propose or recommend justices for the Supreme Court; making her letter to the President illegal.
“From the word go, it is clear that the Chief Justice sought to put forward the names of these judges as though they were being proposed by the Attorney General on behalf of President Akufo-Addo.
“We are completely shocked and scandalized by the state in which the Honorable Chief Justice was preparing to consciously side-step due process and breach the constitution just to please the President and aid him in prosecuting his unholy agenda to pack the Supreme Court.”
However, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo has justified her recommendation to President Akufo-Addo to consider five judges for the Supreme Court.
She insists that the Supreme Court needs more judges to handle the overwhelming number of cases currently before it.
Source: adomonline.com
