Godfred
Dame
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It
is
worthy
to
note
that
the
Supreme
Court
of
Ghana
is
quite
unique
and
different
from
other
Supreme
Courts
around
the
world,
Attorney-General,
Godfred
Dame,
has
said.
Godfred
Dame
said
this
while
rejecting
claims
that
President
Nana
Addo
Dankwa
Akufo-Addo
is
packing
the
Supreme
Court
following
the
recent
request
by
the
Chief
Justice
to
appoint
five
more
justices
of
the
apex
court.
“What
I
am
aware
of
is
the
request
from
Chief
Justice,
I
believe
that
the
Judiciary
is
no
doubt
better
placed
to
provide
ample
justification
for
the
need
for
an
enhanced
Supreme
Court,
but
again
it
is
worthy
to
note
that
the
Supreme
Court
of
Ghana
is
quite
unique
and
different
from
other
Supreme
Courts
around
the
world,”
he
said
in
an
interview
on
the
sidelines
of
the
United
States
Independence
Day
Event
at
the
Embassy
Garden
in
Accra.
So
it
is
not
the
case
that
you
are
packing
the
court?
he
was
asked.
In
answer,
Godfred
Dame
said,
“Definitely
not
so
what
is
this
allegation
about
packing
the
court.”
His
comments
come
at
a
time
when
the
National
Democratic
Congress
(NDC)
is accusing Chief
Justice
Gertrude
Torkornoo
and
President Akufo-Addo
of
packing the
Supreme Court
with
the recommendation
of
five
Justices
to
be
added
to
the
Supreme
Court
Justices.
The
President’s
recommendation
follows
a
letter
by
the
Supreme
Court’s
Chief
Justice,
Justice
Gertrude
Araba
Esaba
Torkonoo
to
President
Akufo-Addo
requesting
for
the
addition
of
five
more
Judges.
General
Secretary
of
the
NDC,
Fiifi
Fiavi
Kwetey
in
a
press
conference
on
Thursday,
July
4
described
the
recommendation
as
an
affront
to
Ghana’s
democracy.
He
noted
that
President
Akufo-Addo
together
with
the
Chief
Justice
are
conniving
to
impose
a
“direct
threat
to
Ghana’s
Judicial
system.”
“This
isn’t
just
a
political
maneuver
of
an
already
exiting
failed
President;
it’s
an
assault
on
our
democracy,
a
betrayal
of
public
trust.
According
to
the
NDC,
the
addition
of
the
five
Judges
to
the
Supreme
Court
Justices
will
only
contribute
to
creating
“judiciary
that
is
no
longer
a
check
on
executive
power,
but
a
mere
extension
of
it.”
“This
is
not
the
Ghana
our
forefathers
fought
for;
this
is
not
the
democracy
we
pledged
to
uphold.
Our
nation
deserves
better,
and
it
is
our
duty
to
stand
up
and
protect
the
very
foundations
of
our
democratic
society,”
Fiifi
Kwetey
stated.
The
party
further
urged
President
Akufo-Addo
to
halt
the
Supreme
Court
appointments.
“We
demand
that
President
Akufo-Addo
immediately
stop
any
plans
to
appoint
additional
judges
to
the
Supreme
Court.”
Mr.
Kwetey
argued
that
the
Chief
Justice’s
letter
to
the
President
is
unconstitutional
as
there’s
“nowhere
in
the
Constitution
where
the
Chief
Justice
is
named
as
the
one
to
recommend
persons
to
the
President
for
appointment
to
the
Supreme
Court.”
The
five
judges
recommended
by
the
Chief
Justice
include
Her
Ladyship
Justice
Angelina
Mensah
Homiah,
His
Lordship
Justice
Eric
Kyei
Baffour,
His
Lordship
Justice
Edward
Amoako
Asante,
Her
Ladyship
Justice
Cyra
Pamela
C.A
Koranteng,
and
Her
Ladyship
Justice
Afia
Asare
Botwe,
the
judge
currently
presiding
over
the
Ambulance
trial.