Sophia Akuffo calls for tighter controls on Supreme Court appeals to reduce delays
By Amoako Kwame Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for tighter restrictions on appeals to the Supreme Court, particularly interlocutory appeals, which she says are contributing to delays in the administration of justice. According to the former Chief Justice, some matters are unnecessarily taken to the apex court before the substantive cases have been […]
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has advocated for stricter controls on appeals to Ghana's Supreme Court, particularly interlocutory appeals, which she contends contribute to judicial delays. Akuffo argued that some matters are unnecessarily escalated to the apex court before lower courts have resolved the substantive cases, thereby prolonging litigation and placing extra strain on the Supreme Court.
During an interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on September 2, 2026, Akuffo noted that interlocutory appeals in pending High Court cases can introduce unwarranted delays in reaching final judgments. "Sometimes there are also some matters which come to the Supreme Court only on what is called interlocutory appeal, which is so unnecessary and shouldn’t have come to the Supreme Court because the case itself might still be in the High Court," she explained.
Akuffo proposed that more cases should be resolved at the Court of Appeal rather than routinely being sent to the Supreme Court. She contended that the Supreme Court should primarily handle issues requiring constitutional and legal interpretation, particularly matters that introduce new, significant, or sensitive constitutional questions.
"A lot of other matters should end in the Court of Appeals if they don’t raise new issues or very sensitive constitutional issues," Akuffo emphasized. Her remarks underscored the delicate balance between the right of litigants to seek judicial review and the necessity to ensure timely resolution of cases. While appeals are a crucial component of Ghana’s judicial system, Akuffo suggested that not every interlocutory decision should automatically lead to proceedings before the Supreme Court, especially when such actions risk delaying the resolution of the core case.
The former Chief Justice’s stance also called for clearer guidelines on when interlocutory matters can be escalated to the apex court, enabling the High Court and Court of Appeal to handle more disputes without prolonged interruptions. For Akuffo, expediting cases and minimizing unnecessary procedural delays are key to enhancing the efficiency of the justice system and bolstering public trust in its operations.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
