Policy analyst and engineer, Michael Kosi Dedey, has warned that the approval of seven new Supreme Court Justices will lead to an immediate rise in administrative costs, without necessarily improving justice delivery in Ghana.
He questioned the necessity of the appointments, suggesting they may be driven more by political motives than a genuine need to strengthen the judiciary.
“The appointment of seven Supreme Court judges also means that the cost of administering will go up immediately. What kind of justice delivery have we had in the last 30 years in this country, and what is the necessity for appointing more judges other than possibly political reasons?” he asked.
According to him, the focus should be on fixing the inefficiencies within the justice system, not increasing the number of justices on the bench.
“The question is, how hard will they work? For me, it is about improving the efficiency of the court itself and not by appointing more justices,” he stated.
Mr. Dedey strongly argued that the Supreme Court has failed to meet its expected standard over the years, and expanding its size would not automatically result in better outcomes.
“I don’t see any reason why we need to increase the number of justices in our Supreme Court because it hasn’t delivered on what it is supposed to deliver. So, for me, it is a no.”
His comments come on the heels of Parliament’s approval of all seven Justices nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to the Supreme Court. The approval followed a heated plenary debate and a voice vote that saw the Majority side triumph after the Appointments Committee presented its report.
The Minority in Parliament had earlier resisted the nominations, describing them as unconstitutional, especially in light of the recent suspension of the Chief Justice.
