We have an independent judiciary – Deputy Attorney General

The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has challenged dissenting views that the Ghanaian judiciary is not independent. He said the process of appointing justices to the courts is very transparent, especially for the Supreme Court.

According to Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the people who are responsible for appointing the judges are not people who can be compromised politically. He thus rubbished claims that the judiciary is highly polarized or simply a stooge of the executive.

“According to our constitutional architecture, the judiciary is an independent body… When it comes to the appointment of judges, we all know that it goes through a rigorous process. So even if you are politically aligned, and you get appointed, the fact that you are going through that process means that at the end of the day, you will either be declared or not declared fit to serve,” explained.

However, he said the judiciary cannot be said to be independent financially, something he said he agrees with.

He said, “…the financial independence of the judiciary, that is where perhaps a case may be, that when it comes to finances, the judiciary is not independent. That is something we may want to look at,” adding, “On the appointment of judges…when it comes to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, you will realize that the Council is made up of eminent men and women, some of whom are representing institutions. They are not sent there based on their political leanings.”

Mr Tuah-Yeboah expressed his confidence in the current system, saying it is a “tripartite engagement” which is a proper framework to function.

According to him, the present format is good and he endorses it “because when it comes to appointments in the judiciary, it has always been a tripartite engagement where you have the Bar, the Executive, and the Judiciary.” He added, “That is the right framework… but if we think there is a need for us to look at it further, I will not close it entirely. But from what I see, I think the constitutional framework we have now should stay,” he said on The Big Issue on Citi FM.