CJ, Supreme Court Justices Rubbish 'Insulting' Research On Judges' Partisan Interests

Chief Justice, Sophia Akufo and revered Justices of the Supreme Court have publicly expressed their disapproval about a research seeking to establish the political leanings of judges of the apex court.

The research, conducted by renowned law Professor, Raymond Atuguba, sought to establish that the voting pattern of judges of the Supreme Court was influenced by the political party that appointed them.

Presenting his findings on Thursday at the 2018 GIMPA Law Conference where the Supreme Court judges had gathered, Prof Atuguba explained that he analysed one hundred political cases in Ghana and found that the voting patterns of the justices favoured the parties which appointed them.

- Prof Raymond Atuguba
“It is not a coincidence that this happened...and it will soon be discovered by the general populace and it may be too late then to gain public trust and respect for the court. The time to act is now,” Prof Atuguba urged.

But Prof Atuguba’s findings scraped nerves and seem to have angered the revered justices of the apex court.

Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, described the research as alien to Ghana.

“It is an American type of research that you have done...that’s fine, but please be careful what you are importing into our environment.

“They [Americans] are used to that, we are not. I don’t think there was a single judge who agreed with what you were saying,” she said.

Justice Jones Dotse was even more critical. He is certain the entire research is an affront to the judges.

“You are entitled to your views,” he tells Prof Atugaba, adding, “I think it is an insult of the highest order.”

- Justice Dotse
Another Supreme Court judge, Justice Irene Charity Larbie, also said Raymond Atuguba’s research is a direct attack on the integrity of justices of the Supreme Court.