His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama will today swear in some seven judges he nominated to the Supreme Court.

This comes after Parliament approved the nomination of these individuals after they were vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

The nominees Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo and Justice Hafisata Amaleboba will be made to administer the oath of service at Jubilee House.

The vetting process for the nominees faced a disruption after a petition filed led to the brief suspension of Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo's interrogation.

The petition was brought before the Parliament's Appointments Committee on Thursday, June 19, by an acclaimed international human rights activist, Anthony Kwabenya Rau, who levelled serious allegations of judicial bias against the nominee.

Addressing the media, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, described the petition as “frivolous, vexatious, and a complete abuse of process," thereby dismissing it.

He based the decision on Article 127(3) of the 1992 Constitution, which protects judges from legal action regarding their judicial conduct.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, also condemned the increasing trend of using baseless allegations to publicly tarnish the reputations of accomplished individuals. Following this, the vetting process resumed.

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, and 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.