Parliament has approved the nominations of three individuals to serve as Justices of the Supreme Court despite a boycott of their vetting by the Minority Caucus.
The approved nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr, a former President of the Ghana Bar Association.
The approval followed the adoption of a report by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, which recommended all three nominees for appointment to the country’s apex court.
The Minority Caucus, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had refused to participate in the vetting, citing concerns over what it described as the hurried nature of the process and a departure from established parliamentary procedures.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the Minority’s concerns were focused on the procedure and timing of the nominations rather than the professional qualifications of the nominees.
He questioned the urgency surrounding the appointments, arguing that there was no existing vacancy on the Supreme Court requiring an immediate replacement.
He also objected to what he described as a shortened period for public scrutiny of the nominees.
Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, rejected the Minority’s concerns and directed the committee to proceed with the vetting.
The Minority subsequently walked out of the proceedings, leaving the Majority members to continue with the vetting and consideration of the nominees.
The committee later recommended all three nominees for approval, paving the way for their consideration by the full House.
Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Essah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, has extensive experience within Ghana’s Judiciary.
She was previously nominated to the Supreme Court in 2024, but the process was not completed before the change in government.
Justice Edward Amoako Asante, also a Court of Appeal Justice, previously served as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice before returning to Ghana’s Court of Appeal.
Anthony Forson Jnr, a private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association, has had a long career in private legal practice.
With Parliament’s approval, the three nominees have now cleared a major stage in the constitutional process towards their appointment to Ghana’s Supreme Court.
