Parliament’s Judiciary Committee kick against capping of Supreme Court justices

The number of Supreme Court judges appointed by President Akufo-Addo has been justified by Parliament’s Judiciary Committee.

The Minority in Parliament expressed concern that the increase from 11 to 14 justices on the Supreme Court would drain state resources, contradicting the president’s claim of protecting the public purse.

But speaking to Citi News after a three-day visit to the Judicial Service by the committee, Chairman Alhassan Abdallah Iddi says a constitutional review is needed to limit the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.

“Look at the number of cases the Supreme Court hears. Almost every case comes to the Supreme Court holding all other variables constant. Many times, people are not satisfied at the Court of Appeal level. They definitely want to go to the Supreme Court. For us to have a cap as others call it, I think that better will it be for a constitutional review to reduce the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. I think that those who cry for the number of judges to the supreme court should look at it very well. It is tied to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.”

The Ghana Bar Association believes it is time for a cap to be placed on the number of Supreme Court judges Ghana has at a time.

Speaking to Citi News on the matter, the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Saviour Kudze, said “the way our constitution is now, if we don't put a ceiling on it, it will not help us.”

For the limit to the number of judges possibly put in place, Mr. Kudze said, “it will depend on the work at hand.”

“Many more cases are going on appeal now and the Supreme Court happens to be the highest and final appellate court, so for me, going forward, we need to look at it and see if you can have some ceiling.”

“It cannot be left just like that,” he concluded.

—citinewsroom