A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, has proposed that the number of judges serving on Ghana’s apex court be increased to 20.
His suggestion stems from what he described as the extensive jurisdiction of Ghana’s Supreme Court, which he argued is broader than that of many other countries.
Speaking during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Justice Mensah explained that while countries like Nigeria have two main jurisdictions for their Supreme Court, Ghana’s apex court handles about eight.
These include its original jurisdiction for constitutional interpretation as well as other matters.
Touching on judicial independence and resourcing, Justice Mensah emphasized that the judiciary must be adequately resourced to effectively perform its constitutional duties.
While acknowledging the judiciary’s current independence, he stressed that financial and infrastructural support is essential for it to fully realize its mandate under the 1992 Constitution.
He also called for the expansion of judicial infrastructure to decentralize court services and ensure timely resolution of cases. According to him, capacity building should not be limited to judges alone but extended to court staff, especially registrars, to enhance justice delivery.
Justice Mensah advocated for further digitization of the court system, including the ability to file cases online, to improve efficiency and accessibility.
On a related but controversial note, Justice Mensah disagreed with fellow nominee Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, who called for a review of the legal age of consent (16) and the marital age (18).
Justice Mensah said the age of consent should remain as it is, arguing that girls should not be required to wait until 18.
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