Vetting of Supreme Court nominees proceeds despite Minority walkout

The process of evaluating three Supreme Court nominees persists despite a walkout by the Opposition in Parliament. This move was prompted by disagreements over the schedule for the evaluations. The Majority party in Parliament has begun the vetting process prior to the Appointments Committee, with Justice Edward Amoako Asante currently before the committee.

The Opposition boycotted the process after opposing what they described as an overly tight schedule for assessing the nominees. The Opposition Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, contended that the Supreme Court already has its full complement of Justices, so the appointments are not intended to fill vacancies but to expand the court.

He emphasized that the concerns were not about the nominees or the President's authority to nominate, but about the procedure and insufficient time for the committee to thoroughly examine the nominees. The Opposition argued that the nominees were presented to Parliament only on Monday, leaving little time for members to review their backgrounds and other relevant documents.

They requested the customary public notice period to allow for public submissions on the nominees. The Minority insisted that following the established procedure would ensure the process is thorough and would prevent the nominees from being rushed. They maintained that there was no immediate harm in postponing the vetting. The three nominees are Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, and Anthony Forson Jr., a private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association.

However, the Majority's Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, dismissed the Opposition's objections, stating they were "baseless". He argued that the President's request to recall Parliament included the referral, vetting, and consideration of the Supreme Court nominees. Ahiafor claimed the committee had already considered this matter during a preliminary meeting and that Parliament's decision to waive certain standing orders provided the basis for the accelerated process.

The Majority proceeded with the vetting despite the Opposition's departure, with the exercise expected to continue with the nominees facing questioning on their professional backgrounds, judicial experience, and suitability for the Supreme Court.