The Minority in Parliament has rejected plans to vet and approve three Supreme Court nominees before the House rises on Friday, describing the proposed four-day process as a threat to parliamentary scrutiny and the legitimacy of Ghana’s highest court.
At a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, the Minority said it was prepared to vet two ministerial nominees — Mahama Ayariga for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings for Environment, Science and Technology — within a “sensible timetable.”
However, it opposed the expedited consideration of Justice Sophia Bernasko Essah, Justice Amoako Asante and former Ghana Bar Association President Tony Forson for the Supreme Court.
The Minority argued that Parliament’s Standing Orders provide mechanisms for public input and proper committee participation, and said none of the relevant rules had been suspended to justify the accelerated process.
It questioned the urgency behind adding the three nominees to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Court is currently functioning and that the proposed appointments are not to fill vacancies.
The Caucus urged the Majority to defer the judicial nominations and allow the Appointments Committee adequate time for scrutiny.
It also called on the Ghana Bar Association, civil society organisations, retired judges and other professional bodies to speak on whether four days is sufficient to vet nominees to Ghana’s highest court.
The Minority warned that if the process proceeds, it could challenge its legality under Article 2 of the 1992 Constitution.
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