The substantial improve within the backlog of 414 and 595 instances within the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 authorized years, throughout which there have been the fewest variety of Justices of the Supreme Court for the five-year interval below evaluate, supplied empirical justification for the necessity to develop the variety of Justices on the Supreme Court to curb the rising backlog of instances, the Attorney-General Godfred Dame has mentioned in help of the request by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for 5 extra justices of the Supreme Court to be appointed to make it twenty.
Godfred Dame says that appointing extra justices of the apex courtroom isn’t solely constitutional however would guarantee speedy and efficient justice, minimise delays and pointless expense and conduce to the overall environment friendly administration of the Supreme Court.
“Given the breadth of the multiplicity of jurisdictions of the Supreme Court, the request for the increase in the number of justices serving on the Supreme Court from the conventional fifteen (in addition to the Chief Justice) to twenty, is not only constitutional but would ensure speedy and effective justice, minimise delays and unnecessary expense and conduce to the general efficient administration of the Supreme Court,” he mentioned in an announcement.
He added “Understandably, the permutations in the constitution of the panels, almost simultaneously, could be daunting for effective and efficient work in the face of the limited number of Justices at the Supreme Court, as the Court is incessantly inundated with cases.”
“The enhancement of the membership of the Supreme Court to twenty, as requested in the brief by Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, is appropriate,” he additional acknowledged..
Read his full assertion here
The suggestions by the Chief Justice raised considerations amongst some attorneys and analysts together with a Private authorized Practitioner Martin Kpebu.
Mr Kpebu mentioned that the considerations usually are not in regards to the competence of the names which have come up.
He says the considerations are in regards to the timing and the process for the appointments. For the president to nominate Supreme Court justices there needs to be a advice from the Judicial Council to that impact, Kpebu mentioned.
Without a advice from the Judicial Council, the president can’t proceed with the method of appointing new justices of the apex courtroom, he added.
Kpebu mentioned on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, July 6 that “There must be a recommendation from the Judicial Council…If the president has not received advice from the judicial council he cannot start.”
He added “But that the nominees are not bad, it is the timing that is bad. These are fine justices but it is about procedure and timing, this debate is not about competence at all.”