Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Professor Kweku Ansa-Asare, has expressed strong support for proposals to extend the retirement age for judges to 75 — and even suggested the country could consider 80 years.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Prof. Ansa-Asare said extending the age limit would help Ghana retain valuable judicial expertise and reduce the need to appoint many new justices to the Supreme Court.
His comments come amid ongoing debate about the number of justices on Ghana’s apex court and a proposal to raise the retirement age for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges from 70 to 75.
At their vetting on Monday, two Supreme Court nominees, Justice Senyo Dzamefe and Justice Sir Dennis Adjei, opposed the extension, citing systemic differences between Ghana and countries like the United States, where federal judges can serve for life.
Justice Adjei explained that U.S. judges can opt for a “senior judge” status from age 65, which allows them to reduce their caseloads while still remaining active.
But Prof. Ansa-Asare believes Ghana can benefit by tapping into the long-standing experience of its judges beyond age 70.
“I support calls to extend the retirement age to 75, and I wish we could even make it 80 because the minds of judges do not deteriorate, contrary to public perception,” he stated.
He further explained that many retired Ghanaian judges have served in international roles, especially within the Commonwealth, which proves their continued relevance.
“Our own Georgina Wood went to Kenya to serve for five years, and Justice Atuguba went to Sierra Leone. This shows that even when they’re supposed to be resting, the Commonwealth and the UN still tap into their expertise. So why don’t we utilise them to build our country instead of letting other nations benefit from them?” he questioned.
Prof. Ansa-Asare also noted that increasing the retirement age could discourage the practice of judges allegedly altering their birth dates to remain in service longer.
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