Omanghana
Ghana’s Parliament has approved the nominations of Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr for appointment to the Supreme Court.
The House endorsed the nominees after adopting the report of the Appointments Committee, concluding the parliamentary vetting and approval process.
President John Dramani Mahama nominated the three legal professionals in consultation with the Judicial Council, in line with the constitutional process for appointing Supreme Court justices.
Justice Bernasko Essah currently serves on the Court of Appeal. She was previously nominated for appointment to the Supreme Court in 2024, before the change in government.
Justice Amoako Asante is also a Court of Appeal judge and previously served as President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
Anthony Forson Jnr is an experienced private legal practitioner and a former National President of the Ghana Bar Association.
Their approval followed a contentious parliamentary process that included a walkout by the Minority Caucus, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The Minority opposed what it described as an accelerated vetting timetable, arguing that there were no urgent vacancies on the Supreme Court requiring the nominations to be processed immediately.
Members of the caucus also raised concerns about the continued expansion of the apex court and the political implications of increasing the number of Supreme Court justices.
The Minority, however, stressed that its objections were procedural and did not amount to a challenge to the professional qualifications of the nominees or the President’s constitutional authority to make the nominations.
Chairman of the Appointments Committee Bernard Ahiafor rejected the Minority’s arguments, describing the procedural objections as baseless.
The Majority members of the committee subsequently proceeded with the vetting and recommended all three nominees for approval by Parliament.
With the adoption of the committee’s report, the nominees have completed the parliamentary stage of the appointment process and are expected to join the Supreme Court after the remaining constitutional formalities are concluded.
Source: Omanghana
