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After a round of secret balloting that lasted deep into the night, Parliament has approved the nominations of Justice George Kingsley Koomson of the Court of Appeal and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu of the High Court as Supreme Court justices. Earlier, the House had voted to approve the President’s ministerial nominees, but this was not without drama.
In July 2022, the President had nominated four justices for appointment to the Supreme Court, including Justices Gaewu and Koomson.
The House had previously approved the nominations of two of the four justices. However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority opposed the approval of Justices Gaewu and Koomson.
The Minority argued that Justice Gaewu was once a New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate and therefore unsuitable for the position of a Supreme Court justice.
The Minority also claimed that Justice Koomson was promoted to the Court of Appeal too soon and that there were other qualified justices that could have been elevated.
Because the Majority and Minority could not agree, the approval of the two justices was decided through secret balloting. Justice Koomson received 139 “Yes” votes and Justice Gaewu received 138 “Yes” votes, and both were approved.
The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, announced the results, and congratulated the two nominees on their elevation to the highest court of the land.
source:locotvgh.com