Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has affirmed the constitutionality of a proposal to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court from the standard 15, asserting that this increase would enhance the efficiency of justice delivery.
The statement comes in response to President Akufo-Addo’s request for the AG’s opinion on Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s plea for additional justices.
Chief Justice Torkornoo emphasized the urgent need to expand the Supreme Court bench due to the court’s heavy workload and output, which she cited as crucial for effectively serving the nation’s justice needs.
The proposal has faced criticism, notably from the National Democratic Congress (NDC). On July 4, the NDC accused President Akufo-Addo and the Chief Justice of colluding to shield current government officials from accountability. The party alleged that the Judicial Council initially opposed elevating five judges to the Supreme Court but was overridden by the Chief Justice and the President.
In his advisory to the President, Attorney-General Dame stressed that the number of Supreme Court justices should reflect the demands of justice administration and the court’s operational needs.
He highlighted that increasing the number of justices to 20 would not only be constitutional but would also ensure speedy and effective justice, reduce delays and expenses, and improve the overall administration of the Supreme Court.
“Given the breadth of the multiplicity of jurisdictions of the Supreme Court, the request for the increase in the number of justices serving on the Supreme Court from the conventional fifteen (in addition to the Chief Justice) to twenty, is not only constitutional but would ensure speedy and effective justice, minimise delays and unnecessary expense and conduce to the general efficient administration of the Supreme Court,” he stated.
Godfred Dame further noted that the Supreme Court’s effective functioning, as mandated by the constitution, might require multiple panels to convene simultaneously. He pointed out that the limited number of justices currently makes it challenging to manage the court’s caseload effectively, given the frequent inundation of cases.
