News:
August 27, 2026
The Minority in Parliament has vehemently opposed plans by the Majority to fast-track the vetting and approval of three Supreme Court nominees within just three days, describing the move as a dangerous stampede that threatens the integrity of the judiciary and undermines the Constitution.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that the Minority is not against the nominations but insists on adhering to established procedures, which require adequate public participation and proper notice. He noted that the nominees were only referred to the Appointments Committee on Monday, and the Majority is now pushing for their approval before Parliament rises on Friday.
“We say no, and we say it with the Constitution and our own standing orders in our hands,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin declared. He argued that rushing the process would deny Ghanaians the opportunity to submit memoranda, a right guaranteed under Order 217 of the standing orders, which requires the publication of nominees’ names for public input.
The Minority Leader drew parallels to 2024, when the then-opposition NDC, now in power, opposed the vetting of two Supreme Court nominees by the previous administration, arguing that a ten-day notice was insufficient. He stressed that the NDC then insisted on a minimum 14-day notice for public participation, a principle they are now abandoning for political convenience.
“It is inconsistent and it acts out of political convenience,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said, accusing the Majority of trampling on the rules of the House.
He warned that confirming justices in such haste would cast a “permanent shadow” over their legitimacy, questioning every ruling they make throughout their careers.
He further argued that there is no emergency to justify the rush, noting that the Supreme Court is currently in vacation and that the administration of justice has not halted. “There is no vacancy on the bench today that without these nominees being approved, the court cannot be properly empaneled or constituted,” he stated, adding that the president is proposing to add three further justices to an already full complement.
The Minority reiterated its readiness to vet the two ministerial nominees fairly but called on the Majority to abandon the plot to force through the Supreme Court vetting. Mr. Afenyo-Markin appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and call his caucus to order, warning that “everything they do today stands for or against your legacy”.
Concluding, the Minority Leader urged all Ghanaians, the Ghana Bar Association, and civil society to speak out against the move, framing it as a test of whether the nation still believes its highest court deserves more care than “96 hours can give it”.
Ghanamps.com