Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, the nominee for chief justice, has stated that a birth certificate does not prove citizenship.
Justice Torkornoo insisted that the document initiates the nationality determination process.
Friday, May 26, in response to queries from members of the Appointments Committee, she stated that a birth certificate is merely an international requirement.
According to her, a person's citizenship status is determined by his or her ancestry.
"Citizenship and nationality are both governed by the law. In certain jurisdictions, being born there confers citizenship on the individual, but in our country, being born in Ghana does not confer citizenship on the individual.
"Your citizenship is determined by your relationship with your mother, the identity of your mother and father, and your lineage."
Therefore, this document [birth certificate] is merely a requirement at the international level; we must know where everyone was born. "However, beyond that, your nationality is derived from this form and the evidence on it," she explained.
Previously, the Supreme Court ruled that birth certificates cannot serve as evidence of citizenship.
The supreme court ruled that a birth certificate does not satisfy Article 42 of the Constitution.
"A birth certificate is not considered an acceptable form of identification. It does not establish the bearer's identity. Additionally, it does not link the holder to the information on the certificate.
"Clearly, it does not constitute proof of citizenship," the Supreme Court ruled.