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The leader of the minority caucus in parliament, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has raised concerns about the number of judges appointed to the Supreme Court by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the Appointments Committee of Parliament began vetting four Supreme Court nominees on Tuesday, 18 October 2022.

Mr Iddrisu expressed this worry in his opening remarks at the sitting of the committee to vet the nominees: Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice of the Court of Appeal; Justice George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal; Justice Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Justice of the Court of Appeal and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court.

Mr Iddrisu further raised issues about how a High Court judge is among the nominees to the Supreme Court.

In his view, High Court judges must not be elevated above their superiors at the Court of Appeal.

On the number of judges at the apex court, Mr Iddrisu stressed that it "is about time for a seal."

He said that the late President Mills appointed 24.4 per cent of judges to the Supreme Court with former President John Dramani Mahama appointing 28.6 per cent while the current president is doing 78.6 per cent.

"It is worrying to note that President Akufo-Addo has appointed 11 out of the current 19 Supreme Court judges," he added.

Usually, Mr Iddrisu argued, the number of Supreme Court judges hovers around 14 or 15.

To him, appointing as many as 19 Supreme Court judges was worrying.

This, he said, contradicts the existing convention.

He also deemed this as political favouritism when judges of the lower courts are promoted over their seniors.

"We need a strong and fearless judiciary to hold the government accountable," Mr Iddrisu also asserted.