President Akufo-Addo appoints 3 new judges to Supreme Court

The three are Justice Mariama Owusu, Justice Lovelace Johnson and Justice Gertrude Tokornoo.

The nomination was announced by the Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday (November 2, 2019).

The three appointees will replace three justices who are on retirement or are due for retirement by the end of the year. These three are Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo, Justice Sophia Adinyira and Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo.

The current Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo is expected to retire on December 20, 2019, after serving since November 30, 1995.

She is the only remaining Justice that was appointed to the Supreme Court by a former President, Jerry John Rawlings.

The President nominates the Justices of the Supreme Court after consulting with the Council of State by submitting the names and curricula vitae of the nominees for appointment to the Supreme Court. This is in accordance with Article 144 (2).

The same article enjoins the President to seek the approval of Parliament for the appointment of the nominees as Justices of the Supreme Court.

The last Supreme Court appointments were made in July 2018.

The president at the time appointed Justice Samuel K. Marful-Sau, Justice Agnes M. A. Dordzie, Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey and Nene A. O. Amegatcher.

Justice Mariama Owusu was elevated to the court of appeal in 2006.

In 2014 she served as the president of the Ghana chapter for the International Association of Women Judges in 2014.

As part of her works, she sat on the committee investigating allegations of corruption against the Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ) Lauretta Vivian Lamptey’s case as well as the trial suspects in the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama.

Justice Gertrude Tokornoo was appointed to the high court in 2004. She specialised in business law and construction law and was instrumental in the setting up of Fugar and co law firm.