Don’t boycott Chief Justice nominee’s vetting, it adds nothing to you-Justice Duose to Minority

A retired Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Isaac Duose,  is urging the Minority members on Parliament’s Appointment Committee not to boycott the vetting of Chief Justice nominee, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah.

He argues that a boycott of the vetting process will look like the party was preparing the ground to reject the Chief Justice.

With the Minority and Chairman of the Appointment Committee, Mr Joe Osei-Wusu, in a war of words over the date for scrutinising the nominee, it is not clear whether a consensus has been reached between the two sides.

But speaking in an interview with theghanareport.com, the retired Judge observes that the NDC will not gain anything by boycotting the vetting.

“Politicians are a different breed of people.  Point is that when the opposition attends or does not attend, the Majority will go on and do what they want to do.

“But it is better if they attended and make their point if they have any.  It is good for the Chief Justice himself if there is a consensus in his appointment,” he explains.

Justice Duose, who chaired the Ghana@50 Commission, said a Chief Justice approved by consensus removes fences of antagonism should power change hands.

“ If approved by consensus, the chances that you will have a conflict with the NDC when or if they come to power will be minimised. But if this antagonism heralding his appointment, I don’t think it is a fair way of looking at it.”

“It will also look as if the NDC is sharpening its knife to reject or skin him. The position of a Chief Justice is such that it is difficult to skin him (occupant) when you want to. It is very difficult.

“You can’t remove a Chief Justice easily unless he brings himself, by embarrassingly misconducting himself. Otherwise, it won’t happen, and Justice Anin Yeboah is not one who will do that,” he said.

The two sides of Parliament have been in a verbal brawl over the date  Justice Anin Yeboah, who  President Akufo-Addo nominated on December 12, 2019,  should appear before the Appointments Committee.

While the Minority favours two weeks from the date of the nomination, to allow public input into the process, the Chairman for the committee points to a vacant seat at the Judiciary as  Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo hangs her robe and wigs on December 20, 2019. She was in office for more than two years as Chief Justice.

The vetting pencilled for December 21, 2019, a Saturday was eventually pushed to Monday, December 23.

With Ghanaians anxiously waiting  to see what pans out at the Committee, Justice Duose said

“It is good for them to attend.”

Going rather proverbial, he said “the reason why they are in opposition is to help twist the big cloth. If you washed your father’s cloth before as a child, you need someone from the other side to help twist it to get the water out. That should be the attitude.

“A boycott is not a very nice thing to do. It may be a bitter pill in the mouth of the boycotter as well as the person who it is done to,” he said.

He said the only reason the Minority will be justified will be if they had a candidate in mind and that candidate lost, then they will have the reason to react the way, they are doing now.

When it was pointed out to him that some NDC MPs were rooting for Justice Jones Dotse, he smiled and said: “but all of us knew that the two of them were the front runners.”

“ Everybody in the fraternity knew that Anin Yeboah and Dotse were the front runners for the position. One of them will have to be selected over the other,” he added.

President  Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on December 12, 2019, nominated Supreme Court Judge Justice Anin Yeboah, as the new Chief Justice of Ghana.

If approved, he will be Ghana’s 26th Chief Justice since 1876.

 

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