Supreme Court nominee, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, has called for the establishment of an independent judicial commission to oversee judicial appointments and promotions in Ghana.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament's Appointments Committee, Justice Ackaah-Boafo argued that a merit-based, transparent process is necessary to ensure competence and public trust in the judiciary.
He recommended Ghana emulate countries such as Kenya, where independent commissions play a key role in judicial appointments, free from political interference. "I will seriously recommend that we should have an independent Judicial Commission for purposes of appointment as exists in Kenya and other places, so that people who are qualified, be they sitting judges or those who are fit practicing can apply. "They assess your work, once they filter it through, and they think that you are qualified, it then goes to the government, which will not have any control over the candidates presented," Justice Ackaah-Boafo stated.
He explained that in some jurisdictions, community service and prior voluntary work are prerequisites for judicial appointments, a model Ghana could consider adopting. "I honestly believe in an individual Judicial Commission for elevations and appointments, and that commission, if it is put in place statutorily, we will then consider these appointments, we will assess your work, what you have done, what you are able to do, and that will become the basis. "By the way, in other jurisdictions, you cannot even be a judge without voluntary work that you have done, for the community to see that you have served them prior, and you can serve them on the bench.
