Incoming Chief Justice to be vetted in parliament today for 10 solid hours!

The incoming Chief Justice, Sophia Akufo, will be facing the appointment committee of parliament today to justify her nomination by the president of the republic to the highest position of the Judiciary.

Head of the vetting bench, Joe Osei Owusu has revealed that each of the 26 members of the committee will be given 20 minutes to ask any question of the Chief Justice nominee.

What this means is that Sophia Akufo could be spending not more than 10 solid hours answering questions. The Council of State has already approved her nomination, and Ms Justice Akuffo has also been introduced by the president.

Ms Akuffo, is the next most senior on the highest court of the land after Mr Justice William Atuguba, who is currently the acting chief justice.

Should Justice Akuffo be approved by the appointments committee in parliament as the substantive chief justice of Ghana, she will be following the footsteps of her predecessor, Georgina Wood as the second female chief justice of Ghana.

YEN is gathering that the appointments committee will be probing the incoming chief justice on matters related to her familial relationship with the president and how that could impact her line of duty as the chief justice.

Other issues related to the corruption scandal which rocked the judiciary not forgetting the ongoing Justice for all programme which is aimed at getting remand prisoners the right to secure a court hearing on their case.

What this means is that she would be most powerful woman in one of Ghana’s arm of government and oversee judicial matters of national and international concern.

The choice of Justice Akuffo follows the retirement of Georgina Theodora Wood who since her appointment in 2007, served as chief justice for over a 10 years.