Chief Justice nominee vetting: Minority backs down on boycott

The Minority in Parliament says it will participate in the vetting of the Chief Justice nominee scheduled for Monday the 23rd of December, 2019 after the minority’s earlier threats to boycott the process.

The President’s nominee for the high office of Chief Justice is billed to face the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, December, 23, 2019.

An earlier date communicated for the public hearing of Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah, on Saturday, December 21, 2019 was rescheduled following some concerns raised by the minority on the vetting.

A statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Parliament of Ghana, Kate Addo, announcing the new date of the public vetting of the Chief Justice nominee said an agreement has been reached between the Majority and Minority sides of the House on the abridgment of time for the public hearing of the nominee.

A Press statement signed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu following the agreed date said:”Ghanaians can expect us to discharge our constitutional duty diligently and thoroughly especially considering our high regard for the eminent office the nominee will be occupying as head of the judicial arm of government if approved.”

The statement further added:”As we have emphasized earlier, our position on this matter is borne out of respect for our practice and processes without any prejudice whatsoever to the nominee in question.”

Background

The Appointments Committee had always given the public two weeks to submit memoranda on nominees before they are publicly heard.

In the case of the Chief Justice nominee, it was just one week.

The Minority Caucus which was not happy of the move raised concerns and even threatened to boycott the process.

They accused their colleagues from the Majority side of rushing with the public hearing of the Chief Justice nominee, Justice Kwesi Anin-Yeboah.

They claimed that whilst discussion were ongoing on the issue of abridgment of time, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee unilaterally caused public announcement of the proposed date of vetting without regard to the ongoing process of dialogue on the abridgment.

“The Minority take the view that the public parliamentary vetting of the nominee for the high office of Chief Justice of the Republic is such an important event in our national life and should not be rushed through and done in a partisan and one sided manner. The present politicization of the discussion of the scheduling and the impression created that the nominee lacks political support from one side of the house is most unfortunate and does great disservice to the nominee”, a statement signed and issued by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, in part read.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Anin-Yeboah on December 12, 2019 to the position of Chief Justice of the land subject to Parliamentary approval.

When approved, Justice Anin Yeboah will be the first male Chief Justice of the land to be appointed in 12 years.

He will take over from Justice Sophia Akuffo. He will be Ghana’s 26th Chief Justice since 1876.