Former President John Dramani Mahama was right in a broad sense to address the growing public perception of political influence in the judiciary, according to retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba.
However, he disagreed with Mahama’s advocacy for a fair balance of appointments on the bench along partisan lines.
In September this year, Mahama criticized the judiciary under the administration of the New Patriotic Party, alleging that the courts had been packed with NPP-inclined judges to influence decisions in their favor.
He advised NDC lawyers to prepare themselves to take up positions on the bench to balance out its composition.
Justice William Atuguba, addressing the comments on JoyNews’ Upfront programme, concurred with Mahama’s comments, stating, “I think in a broad sense, yes. The courts belong to the public, and that thing should never be lost sight of.
“Everything in the state belongs to the people. Every other person in any position is a trustee for the people, and that’s why court proceedings are held in public for the public to follow the proceedings to assess things for themselves to see how justice is administered, whether it’s fair or not.”
Atuguba emphasized that public perceptions and concerns about the integrity of the judiciary should not be disregarded.
He noted that a significant public outcry exists about the nature of the Supreme Court, with many perceiving it as politically tilted towards the NPP. He stated that public sentiment had reached a point where the court was derogatorily referred to as “Unanimous FC.”
The former apex court official criticized the practice in Ghana where issues are swept under the carpet and referenced public concerns about judicial corruption before investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas exposed corrupt judges.
He concluded by expressing his disagreement with Mahama on the need for a politically balanced judiciary, suggesting that such an approach would not be helpful and that the focus should be on ensuring sound and unbiased judgments rather than political manoeuvres.
Source: ghanaweb.com
