Minority boycotts vetting of three Supreme Court nominees over “rushed” timetable

Parliament’s Appointments Committee minority MPs boycotted the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees on Thursday, citing a rushed timetable for the process. Minority leader Alexander Afenyo Markin explained that the nominees were not being considered to fill vacancies but to expand the current number of Justices. He argued that there were no vacancies on the Supreme Court bench, questioning the urgency of the vetting.

Afenyo Markin challenged the majority to demonstrate the potential harm to the state, judiciary, or litigants if the nominees were subjected to the same level of scrutiny as usual. He proposed suspending the current sitting and waiting for 14 days to adhere to parliamentary procedure and constitutional requirements. The Appointments Committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, dismissed the minority's objection as "flimsy," "hollow," and "baseless," and proceeded with the vetting.

The three nominees are Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, and Anthony Forson Jr.