{
  "id": 14685498,
  "title": "Picking Chief Justices nearing retirement could give Mahama immense power – Kofi Bentil",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/picking-chief-justices-nearing-retirement-could-give-mahama-immense",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T11:55:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/picking-chief-justices-nearing-retirement-could-give-mahama-immense-power-kofi-bentil/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has cautioned that appointing Chief Justices close to retirement could grant President John Mahama immense power in Ghana. Speaking to JoyNews’ PM Express, Bentil explained that the remaining years of potential appointees could become a political consideration. He stated, \"If the president wants to wrestle power, he will go the route of picking people with short times to go.\" Bentil emphasized that this was a possibility, not a claim about Mahama's intentions. He elaborated that selecting judges with limited time remaining in office could enable Mahama to appoint at least two Chief Justices before his term ends. The conversation arises as Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie nears retirement later this year, necessitating another appointment to lead the judiciary. Bentil stressed the importance of competence in the selection process but suggested that loyalty could also play a significant role. He noted that the judges under consideration were qualified for the position, but the decisive factor might be the President's comfort with a candidate. Bentil argued that the appointment should aid in rebuilding public confidence in the judiciary following recent turmoil. While acknowledging that no candidate would please everyone, he hoped for a choice that would garner broad acceptance among judges, lawyers, and the public. Despite his concerns about political factors, Bentil expressed confidence in the available candidates, expecting the President to make a good choice.",
  "summary": "Lawyer and Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, says appointing Chief Justices close to retirement could give President John Mahama immense power by allowing him to choose successive heads of the judiciary. Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he said the remaining years of potential appointees could become a political consideration. “If the president wants to […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Appointing retiring Chief Justices could grant President Mahama immense power.",
    "Selection of judges with limited time could enable Mahama to appoint at least two before term ends.",
    "Kofi Bentil emphasized importance of competence and loyalty in selection process."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}