To fill vacancies on the Supreme Court bench, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nominated three Justices of the Court of Appeal.
Among them are Justices Richard Agyei Frimpong, Yaw Asare Darko, and Henry Anthony Cofie.
The President stated that the nomination came about as a result of the mandatory retirement of three Supreme Court Justices earlier this year.
The appointment of the three Justices was submitted to the Appointments Committee for review and report by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei-Owusu, who presided over the house proceedings.
“Over the course of the last few months, in February, May, and June, respectively, three vacancies have been created on the Supreme Court bench,” the President stated. Conventionally, the Chief Justice and 15 additional judges make up the Supreme Court bench, despite the court’s extensive jurisdiction. These vacancies resulted from the required retirements of Justice Jones Dotse on June 8, 2023, Justice Nene Abayeteye Ofoe Amegatcher on February 3, 2023, and former Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah on May 24, 2023. The Supreme Court now has 13 justices, among them is Gertrude Torkornoo.
In July 2022, the Supreme Court bench saw its most recent appointment.
Three Court of Appeal justices and one High Court justice were on the list at the time.
Justice George Kingsley Koomson, Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu, and Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu were the Court of Appeal’s nominees.
The single nominee from the High Court was Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu.
The four were subsequently vetted and approved by Parliament.
