President Mahama deserves commendation for appointing non-partisan SC judges - Vanderpuye

The National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has praised President John Dramani Mahama for nominating seven new Justices to the Supreme Court.

Vanderpuye described the president's nominations as non-partisan and credible, highlighting Mahama's commitment to judicial excellence.

Under Article 143(2) of the 1992 Constitution, President Mahama has nominated seven justices from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, pending approval by Parliament.

During an interview on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Vanderpuye commended the president for selecting individuals without any public records of partisan bias or political affiliations.

"No one can stand anywhere and say that these people have in one way or the other appeared in a political color, appeared on any political platform. These are the people when you nominate or propose, it becomes acceptable to all. And I think that is the way we have to build our judicial system,” he stated.

Vanderpuye pointed out that perceptions of political bias in the judiciary have contributed to a decline in public confidence, as evidenced by the Afrobarometer Report.

He added that the recent nominations are a deliberate effort to address this issue.

"We needed to sanitise the system. And that is why I expect that we'll have some commendations for President Mahama for being able to choose these people, who other people will not have any adverse findings of any perception about, and rather have confidence that these people, when they go to the Supreme Court, will be able to advance the course of justice," he asserted.

This development has sparked discussions about the importance of merit-based appointments to the judiciary.

The nominations are now awaiting parliamentary approval and vetting.

NAD/AE

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