A private legal practitioner, Kwame Adofo, has raised concerns over what he describes as flaws in Ghana's constitutional framework for removing a Chief Justice.
Speaking on The Forum on Asaase Radio, he argued that the current system leaves the head of the judiciary vulnerable to political influence. "The question of making a prima facie case is not left to a politician or an ordinary person; it is left to a judge, who happens to be the Chief Justice," he explained. "But when it comes to the Chief Justice, that determination rests in the hands of the President, and that is dangerous." He pointed out a difference in how the Constitution treats the removal of other Superior Court judges versus the Chief Justice. "For an ordinary Superior Court judge, the Constitution requires three Justices of the Superior Court to sit on the committee.
But for a Chief Justice, only two Justices are needed.
Did the framers of the Constitution intentionally make the Chief Justice more vulnerable?" Adofo warned that this system could lead to frequent changes in the Chief Justice position, influenced by political shifts. "[And] so, every four years, we may have to change a Chief Justice, and judges will be looking over their shoulders for political favours." He further suggested that political interests may now determine who is appointed to lead the judiciary. "Anybody that wins is coming with his own Chief Justice in mind." Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Related Topics:Feature Advertisement You may like Combining commercial and regulatory roles is risky - Amin Adam on GoldBod GoldBod cannot be both trader and regulator - Dr.
