Haruna Iddrisu questions number of judges appointed by President to apex court  

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority leader of Parliament, has questioned the number of judges appointed to the Supreme Court by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to him, the increase from 11 to 14 justices had an impact on the resources of the state, contrary to the president’s claim of protecting the public purse.

Mr Iddrisu raised the issue on Tuesday during Parliament’s Appointment Committee’s vetting of newly appointed judges to the Supreme Court. “If you take the fourth Republican period, we have seen a significant number of appointments by the President in the exercise of his powers in Article 144.

“But note that President Mills contributed about 21 per cent, John Dramani Mahama, 28.6 per cent and Nana Akufo-Addo, 78.6 per cent from 11, to 14 Supreme Court judges. We wonder if he is mindful of the public purse,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo July nominated four: three justices of the Court of Appeal and a Justice of the High Court to fill up expected vacancies at the apex court.

The nominees from the Court of Appeal are; Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice George Kingsley Koomson and Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu.

Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu is the only nominee from the High Court.

Mr Iddrisu noted that criticisms against the judiciary were part of political accountability, which needed to be embraced by the judiciary.

“It is part of political accountability for us to demand that things are done, and done right,” he said.

The Appointments Committee of Parliament Tuesday began the vetting of four Supreme Court justice nominees.

Their appointments are now subject to subsequent approval or rejection by Parliament.

Source: GNA