President John Mahama has sworn in three new justices to the Supreme Court, urging them to uphold the Constitution, protect citizens’ rights and ensure that no individual or institution is placed above the law.
The newly sworn-in justices are Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, and private legal practitioner Anthony Forson Jnr.
They took the oath of office during a ceremony held at the Jubilee House on Thursday, September 10.
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Addressing the ceremony, President Mahama said the Supreme Court occupies a critical position in Ghana’s democratic system as the country’s final judicial authority.
According to the President, decisions of the Supreme Court have far-reaching implications for the country, particularly in interpreting the Constitution, resolving matters of national importance and shaping the development of Ghana’s laws.
“As the final judicial authority, its decisions give meaning to our Constitution, settle questions of profound national importance and shape the evolution of our laws,” President Mahama said.
President Mahama said the authority of the Supreme Court must not be derived from political influence or force but from the confidence and trust Ghanaians place in the judiciary.
Citizens, he said, must be assured that cases brought before the Court would be determined independently, impartially and strictly according to the law.
“The authority of the Court does not rest on force or political power. It rests on the confidence and trust of the people,” he said.
The President stressed that maintaining public confidence in the judiciary requires judges to remain free from political and other external influences when deciding cases.
“Confidence and trust that every matter brought before it will be determined independently, impartially and strictly according to the law,” he added.
According to the President, serving on the Supreme Court requires considerably more than legal knowledge and expertise.
He urged the three new justices to demonstrate sound judgment, personal integrity, intellectual courage and patience in the discharge of their duties.
He reminded the new justices that their decisions would have consequences beyond the immediate parties appearing before them and could shape the country’s constitutional and legal development.
President Mahama therefore urged them to approach their responsibilities with a strong commitment to fairness, independence and the protection of citizens’ constitutional rights.
The swearing-in of the three justices adds to the membership of Ghana’s apex court as it continues to exercise its constitutional mandate as the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes.