Parliament Approves Three New Supreme Court Nominees

Parliament has approved the appointment of three nominees to Ghana’s Supreme Court, paving the way for their elevation to the country’s highest court.

The approved nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr.

Their approval followed the adoption of a report by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, which recommended all three candidates after they underwent vetting.

However, the process was not without controversy, as the Minority Caucus walked out of the committee’s proceedings over concerns about the timetable for the vetting.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin challenged the decision to fast-track the exercise, arguing that the circumstances did not warrant such urgency, particularly because there was no immediate vacancy on the Supreme Court requiring the accelerated process.

He clarified that the Minority’s objection was not directed at the qualifications of the nominees or President John Dramani Mahama’s constitutional authority to nominate persons for appointment to the Supreme Court.

According to him, the disagreement was strictly about the timing and procedure adopted for the vetting.

Tensions rose during the committee meeting after Chairman Bernard Ahiafor ruled that the vetting should proceed despite the Minority’s objections. Mr Afenyo-Markin subsequently led Minority members out of the meeting.

Mr Ahiafor dismissed the Minority’s arguments, describing their objections as “flimsy”, “hollow” and “baseless”.

The Majority subsequently continued with the vetting in the absence of the Minority members. Following the exercise, the Appointments Committee endorsed all three nominees and recommended them to Parliament for approval.

Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, currently serving on the Court of Appeal, has had a long career within Ghana’s judiciary. She was previously considered for appointment to the Supreme Court in 2024, but the process was not completed before the change in government.

Justice Edward Amoako Asante, also a Court of Appeal Justice, has extensive judicial experience both in Ghana and at the regional level. He previously served as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice before returning to Ghana’s Court of Appeal.

Anthony Forson Jnr, a veteran private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association, brings several years of experience in legal practice and professional leadership to the Supreme Court.

With Parliament’s approval, the three nominees have cleared another major stage in the appointment process. Their elevation to the Supreme Court will now depend on the completion of the remaining constitutional requirements.