Supreme Court nominee, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurebaareh, has opposed calls for a cap on the number of justices appointed to the Supreme Court, arguing that such a move would limit the Court’s ability to respond effectively to growing judicial demands.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, June 16, Justice Suurebaareh maintained that the framers of Ghana’s Constitution intentionally left the number of Supreme Court justices open-ended to allow flexibility in managing caseloads and constitutional matters.
“I do not support calls to cap appointments of justices to the Supreme Court,” he stated. “The appointing authority should be free to appoint as many as necessary.”
His comments come amid ongoing public debate over the size of the Supreme Court bench. Some legal commentators have proposed constitutional reforms to place a ceiling on the number of justices, citing administrative efficiency and budgetary concerns.
Justice Suurebaareh, however, argued that a fixed limit could impede the Court’s ability to deliver justice in a timely and thorough manner.
“There could be situations where the number of cases at the Supreme Court increases or the nature of the constitutional matters requires broader deliberation,” he explained. “In such times, limiting appointments might create delays or strain the existing justices.”
He added that the current constitutional framework already ensures checks and balances in the judicial appointment process and that appointments are made based on necessity and merit.
Justice Suurebaareh is one of seven nominees currently being vetted by Parliament following their nomination by President John Dramani Mahama.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Emmanuel Mensah
