NewzPresident John Dramani Mahama on Thursday swore in three new Supreme Court (SC) Judges, urging them to let the Constitution remain their compass. The new judges to the nation’s apex court are Mrs Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah and Mr. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, who were both Court of Appeal Judges; and Mr.
Justice Tony Forson, a private legal practitioner and a former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA). “Let the Constitution remain your compass. You will sometimes be called upon to decide matters that generate strong public emotions and competing political interests,” the President said.
He added: “In those movements, you must remain unmoved by the pressures, the praise or the criticism. Do not allow yourselves to be defined by the individuals, governments or institutions that appear before you.” The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidency in Accra was witnessed by Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie. The President congratulated the three new Supreme Court Judges and wished them a successful and distinguished tenure at the Supreme Court of Ghana.
He appealed to them to let the quality of their reasoning define their legacy, the fairness of their decisions and their unwavering loyalty to the Constitution. He urged them to remember, always, that behind every case file were human beings whose rights, livelihoods, freedoms and futures might depend upon their judgments. President Mahama urged them to approach every matter with humility, listen patiently, examine the law carefully, decide courageously, and let justice and the national interests remain their abiding purpose.
He said the three justices sworn on Thursday bring complementary strength to the nation’s Supreme Court. Justice Essah brings extensive bench experience and familiarity with the nation’s domestic judicial system. He said Mr Justice Asante brings national appellate experience together with a distinguished leadership in regional identification, while Mr Justice Forson brings the practical insights of private legal practise and institutional prospective men from leading the Ghana Bar Association.
He noted that together these various experiences should deepen the Court’s deliberations and contribute to the continued development of Ghanaian law. Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, a newly inaugurated Supreme Court (SC) Judge, has assured President John Dramani Mahama that she and her newly sworn-in colleague Supreme Court Judges would be independent enough to decide according to law. “We are called not to bend the law to personal preference, but to interpret and apply it faithfully, impartially and courageously.
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