I needed my wife’s permission to take Supreme Court job with lower pay – Kulendi
After a lucrative career at the bar, legal practitioner, Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi, has been nominated to the Supreme Court bench where his remuneration is expected to see a huge dip.
Giving details about how he came to a decision to leave his financially-rewarding legal profession for a more public-spirited service, he said he needed his wife’s permission before he could take up the offer to be a Supreme Court Justice.
Mr. Kulendi said he was aware of the financial constraint bedeviling the judiciary but maintained, he was not in the least bit moved.
“If my motivation was financial, I will not be sitting before you this morning. I am conscious that from where I am sitting as a private legal practitioner and where I am headed, I cannot make money my motivation.
“But of course I needed, in terms of domestic democracy, to have the endorsement of my wife. I have to know if she is willing to scale down and since she is okay with it, money won’t be a problem,” he told the Appointments committee of parliament on Tuesday.
He said in joining the Supreme Court he understands that in life, “one has to cut his coat according to his cloth.”
He said this in response to a question posed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who wanted to know his motivation for wanting to join the bench.
The Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, commenced public hearings for the President’s nominees as Justices of the Supreme Court.
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The vetting, which started on Monday is expected to last for two days.
President Akufo-Addo, in March 2020, submitted to parliament, the names of four persons to be considered for appointment to the Supreme Court bench.
The four are; Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Justice Issifu Tanko Amadu, Yoni Kulendi and Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu.
These nominees are to replace Justices on the Apex Court bench who are due for retirement.
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About Yoni Kulendi
Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi is the Managing Partner of his law firm Kulendi@Law, a commercial, litigation, and constitutional law practice.
Previously, he was an associate barrister and solicitor at the well-known Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co.
Yoni is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghana, Legon, with an LLB Honors.
He completed his law degree at the Ghana School of Law, after which he was called to the Ghanaian Bar.
He is a member of the Ghana Bar Association. He also holds an MA in international security and civil-military relations from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, USA.