{
  "id": 3764191,
  "title": "Minority Boycotts Vetting of Three Supreme Court Nominees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/minority-boycotts-vetting-of-three-supreme-court-nominees",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T15:39:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GBC Ghana",
    "slug": "gbc-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/minority-boycotts-vetting/2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Minority politicians in Parliament have refused to participate in the review of three potential Supreme Court nominees, claiming that the process is being expedited. They argue that there is no immediate vacancy on the Court that necessitates such hurried appointments, asserting that the nominees are being evaluated to augment the total number of Justices rather than to fill existing openings. At a meeting of Parliament's Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that the Minority does not object to the nominees or the vetting procedure per se. He emphasized that the key issue is the acceleration of parliamentary procedures, which leaves Parliament insufficient time to deliberate on the nominations. Afenyo-Markin urged the Majority to justify why the nominees could not be subjected to the standard parliamentary process, which would allow the public and interested parties ample time to question the suitability of the nominees, if any. He suggested that the committee adjourn the vetting and permit the requisite 14-day period for public notice and consideration of the nominations. The Minority Leader clarified that this action was not intended to impede Parliament's proceedings or discredit the nominees. He stressed that the Minority seeks the process to adhere to parliamentary rules and constitutional mandates. Bernard Ahiafor, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, dismissed the Minority's apprehensions, labeling them as \"insubstantial,\" \"vacuous,\" and \"unfounded.\" He contended that detractors of a parliamentary decision should utilize the procedures outlined in Parliament's Standing Orders to seek a reversal. Ahiafor also rejected the contention that the Supreme Court nominees should be subject to a different treatment compared to other nominees appearing before the committee. Following the chairman's decision to proceed with the vetting, the Minority, led by Afenyo-Markin, departed from the committee. The three individuals up for review are Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal; Justice Edward Amoako Asante, a former President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice; and Anthony Forson Jr., a private attorney and former President of the Ghana Bar Association.",
  "summary": "By Ashiadey Dotse The Minority in Parliament has boycotted the vetting of three nominees for the Supreme Court, saying the process is being rushed. The Minority said there is currently no vacant position on the Supreme Court that requires the appointments to be handled with urgency. It argued that the nominees are being considered to […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "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."
}