Prof Oppong can be a Supreme Court judge even with Canadian citizenship – Deputy AG
Published:
3 months ago
Source:
GhanaWeb
The Deputy Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has refuted the assertion by members of the Minority Caucus of on the Appointment Committee of the House that persons with dual nationality cannot be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court. The Minority Leader, Dr. , during the vetting of Supreme Court judge nominee, Prof Richard Frimpong Oppong, on August 14, 2024, indicated that the nominee cannot be a judge in Ghana because he also holds Canadian citizenship. He argued that Prof Oppong does not qualify to be a Supreme Court judge due to his dual citizenship, insisting that Prof Oppong must renounce his foreign citizenship before his approval can be recommended.
"The Constitution, in Article 156(1), is clear that you would have to take an oath of allegiance, and the same Supreme Court has equated allegiance to nationality.
"In my view, you do not qualify, and I believe that you would need to renounce your citizenship to be eligible for the role of a Supreme Court judge," the Minority Leader said. Reacting to this in an interview with JoyNews, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah said that the laws of the country allow for the appointment of dual citizens as justices of the Supreme Court. He said that the Supreme Court recently issued a ruling to that effect.
"It is very clear under our laws that you can be a dual citizen but still be a justice of the Supreme Court.