Judiciary lacks financial independence – Justice Dzamefe

Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe has raised serious concerns about the lack of financial independence within Ghana’s judiciary, despite constitutional provisions intended to guarantee it.

Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, June 16, Justice Dzamefe acknowledged that while the judiciary operates independently in administrative and legal matters, it remains financially reliant on the executive and legislature.

“Yes, we are independent administratively, but financially, we are not, when the budget is presented, you [the executive and legislature] decide how much we get. That undermines our independence,” he told the committee.

He argued that true judicial independence cannot exist if one branch of government must rely on another for basic funding. “A lot still needs to be done to ensure the judiciary can operate without interference or constraint,” he added.

Justice Dzamefe also expressed support for uncapping the number of Supreme Court judges, agreeing that a larger number of judges is crucial to mitigate significant delays in the administration of justice.

He added that the country’s constitutional framers deliberately left the number of Supreme Court judges uncapped.

“The framers of our law, the constitution, know why they haven’t put a limit on the number of Supreme Court judges; it’s not capped. So far as the constitution doesn’t cap the number of judges, I am for it,” he said.