By Iddi Yire/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, March 25, GNA – Parliament has approved the nominations of Mr George Kingsley Koomson, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Mr Ernest Yao Gaewu, a High Court Judge, as Supreme Court justices, after another round of secret ballot deep into the night.
The House had earlier voted to approve the President’s ministerial, ministers of state, and deputy ministerial nominees but not without the usual drama.
It would be recalled that the President, in July 2022, nominated for appointment as Supreme Court judges, Mr Gaewu and Mr Koomson, in addition to two other justices of the Court of Appeal; Mrs Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, and Mr Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu.
The House, on December 9, 2022, unanimously approved the nominations of Mrs Justice Ackah-Yensu and Mr Justice Asiedu as justices of the Supreme Court.
However, with Messieurs Gaewu and Koomson, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority were opposed to their approval.
The Minority said Mr Gaewu was once a New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Ho Central Constituency in 2012 and 2016, and that it was, therefore, inappropriate for him to be a Justice of the Highest Court of the land.
Mr Gaewu was appointed as a High court judge in 2020 by the President and subsequently nominated in 2022 as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Concerning Justice Koomson, the Minority said he was promoted to the Court of Appeal not quite long after and that other competent and qualified justices could have been elevated.
Because the Majority and Minority could not reach a consensus on the two justices, their approval had to be decided through secret balloting.
Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker, presiding as Speaker, announced the results of the ballot.
He said of the 275-Member House, three were absent, hence 272 voted.
Mr Koomson was approved by 139 “Yes” votes as against 133 “No” votes.
Mr Gaewu had 138 “Yes” votes as against 134 “No” votes.
With that, Mr Asiamah said the House had accordingly approved the nominations of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, under Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
On behalf of the House, Mr Asiamah congratulated the two nominees for their elevation to the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land.
GNA
