Parliament recommends 3 Supreme Court...

Parliament’s Appointments Committee has recommended the approval of three nominees for appointment to Ghana’s Supreme Court, despite a walkout by the Minority Caucus over concerns about the vetting process and the short timeframe.

The nominees are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr.

If approved by Parliament, the appointments will increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 18 to 21.

The recommendation followed a heated sitting on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin challenged the decision to fast-track the vetting during Parliament’s emergency recall.

Minority challenges Supreme Court vetting process

Afenyo-Markin argued that the vetting process was being rushed despite there being no immediate vacancy on the Supreme Court that required urgent replacement.

According to the minority leader, the nominations are aimed at expanding the membership of the Supreme Court rather than filling vacancies resulting from the retirement, death or removal of sitting justices.

He therefore questioned why the Appointments Committee had to fast-track the process during Parliament’s five-day emergency sitting.

The minority also raised concerns that the nominations were referred to Parliament only after the emergency recall had begun, leaving the public without the customary opportunity to submit memoranda on the nominees.

Afenyo-Markin stressed that the minority's concerns were not about the qualifications or competence of the three nominees but rather the procedure and timeframe adopted for their vetting.

Minority walks out of Appointments Committee

The disagreement escalated after Committee Chairman Bernard Ahiafor rejected the minority's objection and directed the committee to proceed with the vetting.

Ahiafor described the minority's reasons for opposing the process as “flimsy”, “hollow” and “baseless”.

The Minority subsequently walked out of the sitting, leaving the Majority members of the Appointments Committee to continue with the vetting and consideration of the nominees.

Despite the walkout, the committee proceeded to recommend the three nominees for approval by Parliament.

Who are the three Supreme Court nominees?

Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah

Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah currently serves as a Justice of the Court of Appeal and has extensive experience within Ghana’s judiciary.

Her nomination to the Supreme Court would mark another significant stage in her judicial career.

Justice Edward Amoako Asante

Justice Edward Amoako Asante is also a Court of Appeal justice with extensive judicial experience.

He previously served as president of the ECOWAS Court of Justice for three terms, spanning six years.

His career includes significant experience in areas such as human rights and international law.

Anthony Forson Jnr

Anthony Forson Jnr is a private legal practitioner and former president of the Ghana Bar Association.

He has practised law for several years and has held leadership positions within Ghana’s legal profession.

Mahama nominated three Supreme Court candidates.

President John Dramani Mahama nominated the three individuals in consultation with the Judicial Council, in line with the constitutional process for appointing Supreme Court justices.

The Council of State subsequently advised the President that the nominees were qualified and suitable for appointment to the country’s highest court.

Following the Appointments Committee’s recommendation, the nominations are expected to be presented to the full House for consideration.

If Parliament approves the appointments, the nominees will take the required judicial oaths before formally joining the Supreme Court bench.

Parliament’s emergency recall

The dispute over the Supreme Court nominations comes amid Parliament’s emergency recall, which runs from August 24 to August 28, 2026.

Speaker Alban Kingsford Bagbin said the recall followed a request from President Mahama to consider several urgent matters.

These included two ministerial nominations, the three proposed Supreme Court appointments and the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill.

The Speaker subsequently referred the judicial nominations to the Appointments Committee and instructed the committee to vet the nominees and report back to the House within the emergency sitting period.

The Minority, however, maintained that the emergency nature of Parliament’s sitting should not reduce the level of scrutiny normally required for nominees to Ghana’s highest court.

The committee’s recommendation now sets the stage for Parliament to decide whether to approve the three nominees.

The disagreement has introduced a political dimension to the constitutional appointment process, with the minority questioning the speed and procedure of the vetting, while the majority maintains that the committee acted within the mandate given to it by Parliament during the emergency recall.