NDC accuses CJ, Akufo-Addo of packing Supreme Court with NPP-inclined judges

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is accusing the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo and President Akufo-Addo of packing the Supreme Court with judges sympathetic to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to the NDC, the governing NPP has also appointed the most judges to the bench; a trend it described as worrying.

The concern comes days after a letter by the Chief Justice to the President was circulated on both traditional and social media.

In the May 30, 2024 dated letter, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo had asked President Akufo-Addo to nominate five judges to the Supreme Court.

Among the judges recommended is Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, the current judge presiding over the controversial ambulance procurement trial involving NDC MP and Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

The four other judges are Justice Cyra Pamela Koranteng, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuour and Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Kwetey said the Judicial Council and the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) have strongly kicked against the consistent addition of judges to the justices at the Supreme Court.

“The GBA argues forcefully that the request by President Akufo-Addo and the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to increase the minimum number of justices at the Supreme Court to 20 will lead to circumvention of the required constitutional amendment, hence their rejection of same.

“The GBA proposed a review of the conventional number of justices of the Supreme Court every ten years, calling for broader consultation with other key stakeholders such as the Council of State and Parliament”.

Mr Kwetey explained that the Chief Justice had no constitutional right to propose or recommend justices for the Supreme Court; making her letter to the President illegal.

“From the word go, it is clear that the Chief Justice sought to put forward the names of these judges as though they were being proposed by the Attorney General on behalf of President Akufo-Addo.

“We are completely shocked and scandalized by the state in which the Honorable Chief Justice was preparing to consciously side-step due process and breach the constitution just to please the President and aid him to prosecute his unholy agenda to pack the Supreme Court.

“The Chief Justice’s letter is illegal and of no effect. Her action has completely downplayed due process and compromised her independence as the head of the judiciary. We are concerned about the worrying pattern which irresistibly suggests that the President is appointing only those loyal to his party to this court to have control of the judiciary and escape post-regime accountability”.

Meanwhile, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo has justified her recommendation to President Akufo-Addo to consider five judges for the Supreme Court.

She insists that the Supreme Court needs more judges to handle the overwhelming number of cases currently before it.

“There are several cases pending and that is why we need more Supreme Court judges,” she stressed.