Ghana Parliament Approves Supreme Court Justices Despite Minority Walkout

The Parliament of Ghana approved the appointments of Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, and Anthony Forson Jr. to the Supreme Court. The approval followed a recommendation from the Appointments Committee, led by Chairman Bernard Ahiafor, who asserted that the nominees met all constitutional requirements under Article 104.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, led a formal opposition to the process, eventually resulting in a walkout by the Minority Caucus. Afenyo-Markin argued that an emergency recall of Parliament left the committee only three working days to vet five high-level nominees, a timeline he deemed unjustified since the court was already operating with its full complement of justices. He maintained that there was no emergency compelling a rushed approval and suggested the vetting be deferred to September.

While the Minority raised nine constitutional and procedural objections, the committee chairman dismissed these concerns. Afenyo-Markin clarified that the opposition focused on the expedited vetting process rather than the competence or character of the individual nominees. The Minority warned that the legality of the action could be challenged under Article 2 of the 1992 Constitution, criticizing the final report as a product of Majority members alone.