Meet the judge who resigned from NPP the day he was appointed to the High Court bench

In July this year, Justice Yao Gaewu, together with three other justices of the High Court, was nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Supreme Court. Justice Gaewu’s nomination as a Supreme Court judge courted controversy. Aside from questions being raised about his early nomination considering the recency of his appointment to the High Court, Justice Gaewu’s political history has been called into question. A poster of Justice Gaewu contesting for the Ho Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in 2016 surfaced following his nomination as a Supreme Court judge. Some critics, citing his political history, questioned his nomination and his ability to maintain fairness in terms of handling political cases. On Wednesday, October 20, 2022, Justice Gaewu appeared before Parliament’s Appointment Committee to be vetted. During his vetting, the High Court judge confirmed his involvement with the NPP. He did, however, state that he has resigned from the NPP as of September 16, 2020. “I ceased to be a member of the NPP on September 16 2020,” the nominee stated when a member of the committee inquired about his status as an NPP member. Coincidentally, the date given by Justice Gaewu as the day of his resignation from the NPP is the same day he was appointed to the High Court. “Justice Yao Gaewu, has since the 16th day of September 2020 has been appointed and elevated as a Justice of the High Court Bench and has been serving as such,” a profile of the nominee as contained in Parliament’s Appointment Committee document stated. During his vetting, however, the Supreme Court Justice nominee responded to claims about the possibility of his political history affecting his judgments. “Mr Chairman, luckily, I am not a member of the NPP for now. I am no longer a member of the NPP. I have sworn a judicial oath to do right to all manner of persons. My lord if I am empanelled and to the extent that well it will conflict with my ideas, I may ask to be recused,” he told parliament’s Appointment Committee during his vetting on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. GA/BOG

In July this year, Justice Yao Gaewu, together with three other justices of the High Court, was nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Supreme Court. Justice Gaewu’s nomination as a Supreme Court judge courted controversy. Aside from questions being raised about his early nomination considering the recency of his appointment to the High Court, Justice Gaewu’s political history has been called into question. A poster of Justice Gaewu contesting for the Ho Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in 2016 surfaced following his nomination as a Supreme Court judge. Some critics, citing his political history, questioned his nomination and his ability to maintain fairness in terms of handling political cases. On Wednesday, October 20, 2022, Justice Gaewu appeared before Parliament’s Appointment Committee to be vetted. During his vetting, the High Court judge confirmed his involvement with the NPP. He did, however, state that he has resigned from the NPP as of September 16, 2020. “I ceased to be a member of the NPP on September 16 2020,” the nominee stated when a member of the committee inquired about his status as an NPP member. Coincidentally, the date given by Justice Gaewu as the day of his resignation from the NPP is the same day he was appointed to the High Court. “Justice Yao Gaewu, has since the 16th day of September 2020 has been appointed and elevated as a Justice of the High Court Bench and has been serving as such,” a profile of the nominee as contained in Parliament’s Appointment Committee document stated. During his vetting, however, the Supreme Court Justice nominee responded to claims about the possibility of his political history affecting his judgments. “Mr Chairman, luckily, I am not a member of the NPP for now. I am no longer a member of the NPP. I have sworn a judicial oath to do right to all manner of persons. My lord if I am empanelled and to the extent that well it will conflict with my ideas, I may ask to be recused,” he told parliament’s Appointment Committee during his vetting on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. GA/BOG