Parliament approves four new Supreme Court Judges

Parliament has approved President Nana Akufo-Addo’s four nominees for the Supreme Court, in spite of the Minority’s threat to torpedo Justice Clemence Honyenuga’s nomination.

The Appointments Committee of Parliament gave the green light after screening Mr Justice Honyenuga, a Court of Appeal judge; Mr Justice Issifu Imoro Tanko Amadu, also a judge of the Court of Appeal; Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, a law lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghana, Legon; and Mr Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, a private legal practitioner.

The report of the Committee which was signed by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman for the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, stated that they found “the nominees suitable to be appointed as Justices of the Supreme Court”.

Apart from Justice Honyenuga, whom the Minority had issues regarding his comments alleged by the Minority in Parliament to be endorsing President Nana Akufo-Addo for another four-year term, the others had a relatively smooth vetting process.

Justice Honyenuga, who is also the Paramount Chief of the Nyagbo Traditional Area, apologised for his comments which he explained was the position of the chiefs and people of his traditional area.

“The Committee accordingly find the nominees suitable to be appointed as Justices of the Supreme Court”, the Appointments Committee stated.

It added that all the four nominees demonstrated that the Constitution being a living a document would not be interpreted with their biases and that the spirit and letter of the law would prevail for the good of the citizenry.

The four new Justices of the Supreme Court will bring the number of members of the highest bench of the bar to 18.

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