Supreme Court Justice Nominees Face Appointments Committee Today

Parliament's Appointments Committee will begin vetting Supreme Court justice nominees later today, Monday.

President Nana Akufo-Addo last month, nominated three female justices, Justice Mariama Owusu, Justice Gertrude Torkonoo and Justice Avril Lovelace Johnson to the apex court subject to parliamentary approval.

The three who are all justices of the Court of Appeal will be replacing three Supreme Court justices, namely Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, Justice Vida AkotoBamfo and Justice Sophia Adinyira.

Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka who is a Member of Parliament's Appointments Committee in Citi News interview indicated that today's sitting will scrutinise the nominees to ascertain their preparedness for the new role.

“Ours is to unearth the professional competence of the individuals. They must have unquestioned integrity. They must be compassionate, firm, honest and sincere. We will have to look at judgments they have made in the past. Are they political or partisan? What are their views of some of the issues going on in the country with regards to law? So these are some of the things we will put before them and whilst we do that, we will try to measure their temperaments and emotions. “

About the new Justices

Justice Mariama Owusu was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2006.

Before this elevation to the Supreme Court, she served as the president of the Ghana chapter for the International Association of Women Judges in 2014.

Justice Owusu also notably sat on the committee investigating allegations of corruption against the Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), Lauretta Vivian Lamptey case as well as the trial suspects in the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama.

Justice Gertrude Tokornoo specialised in business law and construction law and was instrumental in the setting up of Fugar and co law firm.

She was appointed to the high court in 2004.

—citinewsroom