Supreme Court cuts practice requirement for entry-level judges to 1 year

The Supreme Court has ruled against an injunction application filed by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, aimed at halting certain criminal trials in High Courts during the national legal vacation. Justice Gabriel Pwamang, acting alone, dismissed the request on August 21, 2026, stating that the applicant had not provided sufficient grounds for the injunction.

This decision enables the ongoing High Court trials to continue under administrative warrants issued by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie. Oppong Nkrumah had requested the Supreme Court to pause the warrants while his case challenging their constitutionality was being decided. He contended that the Chief Justice's authorization of these trials constitutes selective treatment and breaches the 1992 Constitution, specifically Articles 17 and 296.

However, this ruling does not resolve the substantive constitutional issue, which remains unresolved. The legal vacation in question is scheduled from August 1 to September 30, 2026, and includes trials for former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene and his wife, as well as former NAFCO Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab.

Oppong Nkrumah's legal team, led by Frank Davies, plans to review the court's detailed ruling before determining the next course of action. The Supreme Court's dismissal of the injunction follows growing concerns from the Ghana Bar Association and some lawyers, who question the legality of the arrangement. The Judiciary maintains that the authorized sittings aim to expedite case resolution.

With this ruling, the selected criminal trials can proceed while the Supreme Court continues to evaluate the broader constitutional challenge.