Supreme Court not a “dictator” – Joe Ghartey

Former Attorney General, Joe Ghartey, has disputed claims by some critics who describe the Supreme Court as the “last dictatorship standing”.

Critics of the Supreme Court’s powers base their arguments on the security of tenure given all Supreme Court Justices as well as the sacrosanct value of the apex court’s decisions.

They argue that while the Executive and Legislative arms of Government change every four years, per the 1992 Constitution, the Supreme Court, on the other hand, has no such termly tenure.

They have questioned the entrenchment of the tenure of Supreme Court Justices, who, per the 1992 Constitution, serve in office interminably, until they turn 70 years or die.

Speaking at a forum on the “Understanding the Operations and Mandate of the Supreme Court in Ghana’s Constitutional Democracy”, Joe Ghartey disagreed with the critics.

“I don’t think they are dictators”, the second Deputy Speaker of Parliament said.

Other discussants at the forum were retired former Supreme Court Judge, Prof Kofi Date-Bah; Prof P. E. Bondzi-Simpson, Dean of the faculty of law at the University of Cape Coast; Ghana Bar Association President, Nene Amegatcher and Asokore Mampong Paramount Chief, Prof S.K.B Asante.