The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed strong opposition to Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s recent decision to recommend five judges for nomination to the Supreme Court, labeling the move as unconstitutional.
The Chief Justice’s proposal, directed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, aims to address the current high volume of cases being handled by the Supreme Court.
However, during a news conference in Accra on Wednesday, NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey argued that the Chief Justice does not possess the constitutional authority to make such recommendations.
“The constitution does not mandate the Chief Justice to recommend individuals to the President for nomination as Supreme Court judges,” Fifi Kwetey stated emphatically.
He described the Chief Justice’s letter to the President as lacking any constitutional foundation and therefore having no legal effect.
“Nowhere in the constitution is the Chief Justice named as the one to recommend persons to the President for appointment to the Supreme Court. We wish to state without any equivocation that the Chief Justice’s letter is illegal and of no effect,” he asserted.
Fifi Kwetey further criticized the Chief Justice’s actions, claiming they have disrupted the established due process and compromised her independence as the head of the judiciary.
“Her actions have completely turned the due process on its head and compromised her independence as the head of the judiciary,” he added.
According to the NDC, the process outlined in the constitution does not include the Chief Justice’s involvement in recommending candidates for the Supreme Court
