Veteran lawyer Mr. Kwaku Ansa-Asare has criticized Ghana’s system for appointing Chief Justices, describing it as deeply flawed and inconsistent with the long-standing traditions of the legal profession.
Speaking on The KSM Show, monitored by MyNewsGh, Mr. Ansa-Asare expressed concern that political influence has compromised what should be a sacred and merit-based process.
“I have had problems with the way our Chief Justices have been selected in this country,” he lamented. “The selection process is very, very flawed.”
According to him, the former president, being a lawyer himself, should have upheld the convention of seniority when appointing the head of the judiciary.
“The former president should have respected the tradition of the profession in the selection process,” he stated.
Mr. Ansa-Asare explained that at the time of the former Chief Justice’s retirement, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was the most senior member of the Supreme Court, followed by Justices Pwamang and Lovelace Johnson. However, the appointment, he said, went instead to Justice Tokonoo, who was far junior in rank.
“The former president took Tokonoo out of ten from nowhere to that enviable position,” he complained.
The respected lawyer described the move as a departure from due process and professional ethics, suggesting that the decision was politically motivated rather than based on merit.
“Any other government apart from Nana’s would not have tolerated that kind of abuse,” he asserted.
Mr. Ansa-Asare concluded that unless Ghana reforms its judicial appointment process, the independence and integrity of the judiciary will continue to be undermined.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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