Supreme Court nominee, Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo, has admonished Ghanaians to desist from taking the laws into their hands, instead turn to legal authorities for assistance.

Appearing before Parliament's Appointments Committee on Friday, June 21, he indicated that lynching and other vigilante acts undermine the rule of law and must not be used as a means of seeking justice.

Justice Ackaah-Boafo insisted that all these acts are illegal and individuals caught in the practice must face the law.

“If somebody has done something wrong, the judicial process should be allowed to take its place. Using mob justice clearly is illegal, and people who engage in it must be dealt with by the law.

"I believe that nobody can use mob justice or demonstrations to resolve a legal matter," he stated.

Moving away, Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo also opposed the practice of some parents giving their underage daughters in marriage.

He indicated that every Ghanaian girl child deserves the opportunity to access education.

He advocated for changes in the law to better safeguard the rights of vulnerable girls.

“The girl child should have the opportunity to be educated and develop her talent, so that when you place a child into a marriage against their wishes, it is certainly a no-no.

“So I do not believe that children should be put in marriage at a tender age. Every child should have the opportunity to develop their talents, and if there is a need for us to regulate that through law, I am all for it. But I think many of these things come with education rather than just law,” he concluded.

Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo was the final nominee of President John Dramani Mahama's Supreme Court judge nominees, who had undergone vetting.

So far, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janpere Bartels-Kodwo and Justice Hafisata Ameleboba have been vetted.

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, is 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.