Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi is a Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim Central

The Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, has expressed reservations over the approval of seven new justices to the Supreme Court, describing the move as unprecedented.

He argued that appointment can potentially be disruptive to long-standing conventions that have guided the judiciary.

Addressing the issue during an interview on Joy News and monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, he explained that while the Constitution does not explicitly limit the number of Supreme Court judges, successive governments have maintained the number at 14.

“When Akufo-Addo took office, he met 14 justices on the bench and left it at 14. Even now, with the Chief Justice suspended, we have 12. Adding seven more would take us to 19, and if the suspended Chief Justice is reinstated, the number jumps to 20,” he said.

He stressed that such a significant increase sets a new and potentially dangerous precedent.

“We have never set this kind of precedent in the country. It may be legal, but it is not guided. There’s a lacuna in the Constitution, yes, but that’s why presidents have been cautious over the years," he noted.

Anyimadu-Antwi further cautioned that without clearly defined limits, future governments might go further, inflating the bench for political convenience.

“We don’t want a situation where one party in power decides to raise the number to 20, and another comes and goes even beyond that. That is not how we strengthen our democracy,” he added.

He clarified that the Minority Leader’s opposition was not directed at the individual nominees but at the broader implications of the appointments.

“We have no personal issues with the nominees. I know some of them personally, like Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei. We’ve worked in the same chambers. But bringing seven at once raises questions,” he said.

Parliament has approved the seven new Supreme Court justices following the recommendation of the Appointments Committee.

The newly appointed judges include Justices Senyo Dzamefe, Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Gbeil Simon Suurbaareh, Philip Bright Mensah, Janapare Adzua Bartels-Kodwo, Hafisata Amaleboba, and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, all of whom previously served in the Court of Appeal.

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