Ghana: Minority Challenges Legality of Supreme Court Nominees' Vetting · Stages a Walkout

What the report says

Ghana’s parliamentary Minority Caucus walked out of the Appointments Committee on Thursday after objecting to the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, a process it said was unconstitutional and inconsistent with Parliament’s rules. The nominees were Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and Anthony Forson Jnr. The dispute took place during committee proceedings in Parliament and centered on whether the hearing should go ahead immediately.

According to the Ghanaian Times report republished by AllAfrica, Minority Leader and committee Ranking Member Alexander Afenyo-Markin argued that the nominees should have been publicly advertised in advance so citizens could submit memoranda before vetting. He said the short timeline departed from past practice and suggested the committee wait until Parliament reconvened. He also pointed to earlier opposition by today’s Majority when it was in minority.

Committee Chair Bernard Ahiafor rejected the objection, saying Parliament had already referred the nominees to the committee after a request from President John Dramani Mahama and that the House had suspended one standing order to deal with urgent business. He dismissed the challenge as unfounded and declined to put it to a vote. After the ruling, Afenyo-Markin led Minority members out of the room, and the vetting continued without them. The episode highlights continuing tensions over parliamentary procedure and scrutiny of judicial appointments in Ghana.