Akufo-Addo nominates 2 new judges to Supreme Court

Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo has nominated two new judges for the Supreme Court bench after they received approval from the Judicial Council. The nominees are Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong, a legal academic and fellow of the Ghana Academy of Sciences, and Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, a justice of the Court of Appeal.

President Akufo-Addo stated that both nominees will have to undergo vetting by Parliament as required by the constitution. If approved, Prof Frimpong Oppong will join Prof Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu as one of the legal academics on the Supreme Court bench.

Justice Bernasko Essah, who has experience as a State Attorney, private legal practitioner, and as a Justice of the High Court and Court of Appeal, will also bring valuable expertise to the Supreme Court.

The nomination of these two judges comes after Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo requested President Akufo-Addo to nominate five judges to the Supreme Court due to the high number of cases before the court.

The Chief Justice recommended Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe along with four other judges, but the President’s recent nomination did not include these names. It is unclear whether the Chief Justice’s nominations were rejected or are still under consideration.

Once approved by Parliament, Ghana’s Supreme Court will have a total of 17 justices.