Supreme Court Judge nominee, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, has emphasized the necessity for judges to learn Chinese language skills.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, June 17, Justice Mensah noted that the inability of judges, particularly those in illegal mining zones, to comprehend Chinese language is undermining prosecutions involving foreign nationals.

“The Judges must either be taken to China for further studies in Chinese language, or the JTI must be resourced to bring experts to come and train our Judges,” he said. “Because if the person has committed an offence and you can’t prosecute him, then it is as well saying that ‘oh let me leave him to go away.

“When they are arrested, especially these Chinese people and sent to the court, the difficulty is that they don’t speak English. Even if they understand English, they refuse to speak English.

“And because the police and enforcement agencies also are unable to speak their language, it becomes more difficult to get them prosecuted," he noted.

A number of Chinese individuals have been involved in galamsey activities leading to their arrest.

However, prosecution has not been successful due to a language barrier.

Recently, the government attributed the lack of justice delivery to Chinese foreign nationals to a language barrier.

But according to Justice Mensah, the lack of proper interpretation in court by interpreters adds to the challenges of judges.

“The interpreters themselves, sometimes they are also a problem. So if the Judge himself understands the language, it will be better served for him to understand what he is doing for us to be able to curb the menace of galamsey,” he added.

The process, which commenced on Monday, June 16, will be brought to a close on Wednesday, June 18.

The committee will be spearheaded by the First Deputy Speaker in Parliament,Bernard Ahiafor.

The vetting process commences at 10am in Committee Rooms 1, 2 & 3 New Administration Block of Parliament.The other listed nominees include Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba.

Their vetting comes after the Speaker of Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin on May 27 referred the nominees to the Appointments Committee for vetting and subsequent approval.

This is in accordance with Article 144(2) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which mandates that Supreme Court nominees undergo parliamentary scrutiny before their appointments are confirmed.

The Appointments Committee, will be chaired by Bernard Ahiafor, and assisted by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.Other members of the committee also include, Alexander Afenyo-Markin (Ranking Member), Patricia Appiagyei (Deputy Ranking Member), Mahama Ayariga (Majority Leader), Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Patrick Yaw Boamah, Shaibu Mahama, Alhassan Umar, Kwame Governs Agbodza.

About the nominees

Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei – A Court of Appeal judge since 2010, he was elected to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2022 for a six-year term. He has served as Director of the Judicial Training Institute and Dean of the Faculty of Law at GIMPA. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at multiple universities.

Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh – Appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2010, he previously served as the Supervising High Court Judge in the Eastern Region and is known for his expertise in constitutional and administrative law and represents Court of Appeal judges on Ghana’s Judicial Council.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe – A Court of Appeal judge since 2010, he chaired the Dzamefe Commission, which investigated Ghana’s performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was elected President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) in 2018.

Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo - A Court of Appeal judge, has emphasised the need for legal education reforms and has advocated for the integration of artificial intelligence into Ghana’s legal system to enhance efficiency and transparency.

Justice Philip Bright Mensah – Known for his contributions to appellate jurisprudence, he recently presided over a Court of Appeal panel that directed the Accra High Court to adopt proceedings from a previous trial in the Republic vs. Stephen Kwabena Opuni case.

Justice Janpere Bartels-Kodwo – A Court of Appeal judge, he has been nominated to strengthen the Supreme Court’s capacity amid increasing demands on Ghana’s judiciary.

Justice Hafisata Ameleboba – A Court of Appeal judge, she has been involved in key judicial decisions and reforms. Her nomination is expected to bring diversity and expertise to the Supreme Court.