Accra - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially nominated three individuals to be appointed as Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana. The proposed nominees are Mr. Justice Henry Anthony Coffie, Mr. Justice Yaw Asare Darko, and Mr. Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong, all currently serving as Justices of the Court of Appeal.
According to Ghana News Agency, the need for these nominations arose due to the vacancies created on the Supreme Court bench in the past few months. These vacancies emerged following the mandatory retirements of three justices: Justice Nene Abayateye Ofoe Amegatcher on February 3, 2023, Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah on May 24, 2023, and Justice Jones Dotse on June 8, 2023.
The announcement of these nominations was made by Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, during a parliamentary session on Friday. The President's nominations are in accordance with Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which requires the advice of the Judicial Council and consultations with the Council of State.
With these retirements, the number of Justices on the Supreme Court bench, which conventionally comprises the Chief Justice and 15 other Justices, was reduced to 13. This number includes the new Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
In his letter, President Akufo-Addo expressed the necessity to fill these vacancies and, in doing so, sought the approval of Parliament for the appointment of the proposed nominees. Following the announcement, Mr. Osei-Owusu referred the nominees to the Appointment Committee of Parliament for vetting and a subsequent report to the House.