Appointment of new Chief Justice could influence justice delivery - George Loh

The appointment of Justice Sophia A.B. Akufo as incoming Chief Justice (CJ) and her earlier working relationship with the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo could influence her role in the justice delivery in the country, a private legal practitioner, George Loh thinks so.

“I have known Justice Sophia Akufo well for over forty-years. Indeed she was my first junior in practice. She impressed me considerably” President Akufo-Addo revealed in announcing her nomination for parliamentary approval last Friday.

Leading members of the opposition party; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have accused government of exhibiting cronyism and nepotism in running the affairs of the country

According to them, appointments Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, Lawyer Gloria Akufo and Justice Sophia Akuffo as Finance Minister, Attorney General and Chief Justice respectively indicate the government is being run on family and friends basis.

“Some have mentioned family connections and conflict of interest. All these accusations are legitimate and debatable”. The former Member of Parliament for North Dayi observed.

“Those raising issues of family connection and conflict of interest are right, simply because the President in the last elections did say he was not going to run family and friends government”, Mr. George Loh pointed out.

There are hierarchies of issues people will like to talk about. If somebody talks about conflict of interest because you say I am your junior in chambers and something like that, that is a legitimate issue” he added on Joy FM’s news analysis programme Newsfile.