The Attorney-General (AG), Godfred Yeboah Dame, has affirmed the constitutionality of the proposal to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court from the standard 15, echoing that it would enhance the efficiency of justice delivery.
His statement follows President Akufo-Addo’s request for the AG’s opinion on Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s plea for additional Supreme Court justices.
In her communication to the President, Chief Justice Torkornoo underscored the urgent need to expand the Supreme Court bench, citing the court’s workload and output as pivotal factors in serving the nation’s justice needs effectively.
She detailed the operational challenges of the Supreme Court of Ghana (SCOG), which currently sits three days a week on alternating weeks to manage its caseload.
The Chief Justice's appeal has sparked criticism from various quarters, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
On Thursday, July 4, the NDC accused President Akufo-Addo and the Chief Justice of colluding to protect current government officials from accountability.
The opposition party alleged that the Judicial Council initially opposed moves to elevate five judges to the Supreme Court, only to be overridden through a covert manoeuvre by the Chief Justice and President.
In response, Attorney-General Dame, in his advisory to the President regarding the Chief Justice's request, emphasised that the determination of the Supreme Court's justices should align with the imperatives of justice administration and the operational needs of the court.
“Given the breadth of the multiplicity of jurisdictions of the Supreme Court, the request for the increase in the number of justices serving on the Supreme Court from the conventional fifteen (in addition to the Chief Justice) to twenty, is not only constitutional but would ensure speedy and effective justice, minimise delays and unnecessary expense and conduce to the general efficient administration of the Supreme Court,” he stated.
The Attorney-General also emphasised that the effective execution of the Supreme Court’s functions, as mandated by the constitution, may require concurrently constituted panels of the Supreme Court to convene.
“Understandably, the permutations in the constitution of the panels, almost simultaneously, could be daunting for effective and efficient work in the face of the limited number of Justices at the Supreme Court, as the Court is incessantly inundated with cases,” he added.
Latest Stories
-
Brazilian Supreme Court justice threatens to arrest Bolsonaro
3 hours -
Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion to feature in exhibition
4 hours -
North Macedonia backs Morocco’s autonomy plan as sole basis for resolving Sahara dispute
4 hours -
Coach Lars Björkegren “proud” of Black Queens after penalty defeat to Morocco
4 hours -
Hosts Morocco to take on Nigeria in African women’s final
4 hours -
We were the better team – Queens coach Bjorkegren reflects on WAFCON 2024 semi-final loss
4 hours -
Mali court rejects appeal to release four Barrick employees, judge says
4 hours -
Kenyan man on death row in Saudi Arabia freed
4 hours -
Euro 2025: England beat Italy to reach finals
4 hours -
Ho Technical University partners with GhIE Branch 6 For Engineering and Innovation Week
4 hours -
The voices in the cockpit fuelling controversy over Air India crash
5 hours -
Mike Lynch estate and business partner owe HP Enterprise £700m, court rules
5 hours -
Trump administration pulls US out of UNESCO again
5 hours -
WAFCON 2024: Ghana’s Black Queens miss out on final after penalty loss to Morocco
5 hours -
Coca-Cola will roll out cane sugar Coke in US after Trump push
5 hours