Linda Akrasi Kotey
3 November 2009
Accra — The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has suggested that before any Judge is nominated to the Supreme Court, parliament should first conduct a check on the quality of their judgments.
He added that unlike Ministers of State whose portfolio could be changed, Supreme Court justices when appointed are to serve until they reach their retirement age of 70years, as stipulated in the constitution.
Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, who is also a member of the Appointments Committee, said this in an interview with The Chronicle after the House approved the nomination of three Judges to the Supreme Court on Friday.
The MP said the justices are going to be put in a position where they would be the final arbitrators in constitutional matters in the country, as such judgments that they give would serve for future reference. He explained that if for instance a nominee to the Supreme Court is found out to have given 105 judgments in his lifetime on the bench, and out of the number he has 104 of them overturned on appeal, he does not think Ghanaians would be well served if the person becomes the final decider on constitutional matters.
According to him, the profiles of the judges who appeared before them could not be thoroughly investigated because the nominees, themselves, did not know who submitted their names to the committee.
Three Appeals Court judges were nominated by President Mills for consideration to the Supreme Court, received the approval of the House on Friday. They are Justices Benjamin Teiko Aryeetey, Suleiman Nasiru Gbadegbe and Vida Akoto Bamfo
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