Attorney-General Godfred Dame has emphasized that the significant increase in case backlogs during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 legal years underscores the necessity of expanding the number of Justices on the Supreme Court.
During this period, which saw the fewest number of Justices over the past five years, there were backlogs of 414 and 595 cases, respectively.
In support of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s request to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from fifteen to twenty, Dame argued that this expansion is not only constitutionally justified but essential for ensuring swift and effective justice.
He highlighted that a larger bench would help minimize delays, reduce unnecessary expenses, and enhance the overall efficiency of the Supreme Court’s administration.
“Given the diverse and numerous jurisdictions of the Supreme Court, expanding the number of Justices to twenty would enhance the expeditious and effective delivery of justice,” Dame stated in a released statement.
He further emphasized, “Understandably, the constitution of multiple panels simultaneously can be challenging for effective and efficient work given the limited number of Justices at the Supreme Court, especially with the constant influx of cases.”
Dame reiterated, “Increasing the Supreme Court membership to twenty, as proposed by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, is indeed appropriate.”
