The parliamentary vetting process for the apex court just hit a massive brick wall. The Minority in Parliament has dramatically pulled the plug on their participation in the vetting of three new Supreme Court nominees, staging a walkout over what they describe as a deeply flawed and illegally compressed timetable.
The opposition lawmakers are furious. They insist there is absolutely no pressing vacancy on the Supreme Court bench to justify this sudden rush.
As far as the caucus is concerned, these latest appointments are simply padding the existing complement of justices rather than filling actual empty seats.
A Demand for Due Process
Appearing before the Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made it clear this boycott was not a personal attack on the legal credentials of the individuals involved. The fundamental problem is the rushed procedure.
He openly challenged the Majority side to explain exactly what national crisis would occur if the state simply subjected these high-profile appointments to the standard level of parliamentary scrutiny.
“These nominations came to the House on Monday. Let us reason together and let us be seen as being consistent with our political views," Afenyo-Markin argued on the floor.
He demanded the committee immediately suspend the sitting, publish the proper public advertisements, and wait the customary 14 days before throwing questions at the candidates. He stressed that their objection was meant to protect the sanctity of parliamentary procedures, not to embarrass anyone.
Chairman Ahiafor Shuts It Down
Committee Chairman Bernard Ahiafor was having none of it. He completely trashed the Minority's arguments, taking a hardline stance and describing their legal objections as flimsy, hollow, and entirely baseless.
Ahiafor practically dared the aggrieved lawmakers to consult Parliament's Standing Orders if they wanted to challenge a timeline already sanctioned by the broader House. He flatly refused to treat these specific judicial appointments any differently than previous ones.
“I will not preside over this committee and purport to vary the orders or directions or decision taken at the plenary by the entire House,” Mr Ahiafor fired back.
He added that such a procedural reversal is not done in any democracy, and he definitely would not be the first to introduce it in Ghana.
The Chairman's blunt dismissal left absolutely no room for compromise. Afenyo-Markin immediately led his side out of the committee room, abandoning the hearing.
The abrupt walkout left three heavyweights of the legal fraternity hanging in the balance. The sidelined candidates include Court of Appeal judge Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, former ECOWAS Court of Justice President Justice Edward Amoako Asante, and private legal practitioner and former Ghana Bar Association President Anthony Forson Jr.
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