Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah has been nominated to serve at the Supreme Court
Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah has once again been nominated to serve on Ghana's Supreme Court, making her one of the notable figures in the latest batch of nominees seeking appointment to the country's apex court.
Her latest nomination by President John Dramani Mahama comes less than two years after she was first nominated to the Supreme Court by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2024.
Justice Bernasko Essah was among three persons nominated by President Mahama for appointment to the Supreme Court.
The other nominees are Court of Appeal Justice Edward Amoako Asante and legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Anthony Forson Jnr.
The nominees appeared before Parliament's Appointments Committee for vetting on August 27, 2026, as part of the constitutional process required before their appointments can be completed.
Her second shot at the apex court
Justice Bernasko Essah's latest nomination has drawn attention because it marks her second opportunity to join Ghana's highest court.
Her first nomination came in 2024 when then-President Akufo-Addo nominated her for appointment to the Supreme Court.
She subsequently appeared before Parliament's Appointments Committee for vetting, where she spoke about her commitment to the judicial oath and the need for fairness in the administration of justice.
Although she went through the parliamentary vetting process, her appointment was not completed before the end of the Akufo-Addo administration.
President Mahama's decision to renominate her has therefore given the experienced Court of Appeal judge another opportunity to take her place on the Supreme Court bench.
Following her approval by Parliament on August 27, 2026, Justice Bernasko Essah joins the apex court after an earlier nomination failed to culminate in her appointment.
More than three decades in law and the judiciary
Justice Bernasko Essah brings more than three decades of legal and judicial experience to her latest nomination.
She became a Justice of the Court of Appeal on December 17, 2019, after serving as a Justice of the High Court from July 2011.
During her time at the High Court, she served in both the Commercial and General Jurisdiction Divisions.
Before joining the Bench, she built an extensive career in both public service and the corporate legal sector.
Her legal career began in 1992 at the Civil Division of the Office of the Attorney-General, where she served as an Assistant State Attorney before rising to the position of State Attorney.
She later moved into the corporate sector, serving as Senior Legal Counsel at the Volta River Authority, Legal Services Manager at the Tema Oil Refinery, and subsequently as Company Solicitor and Secretary to the Board of Directors of the refinery. Academic background
Justice Bernasko Essah obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ghana in 1988 and later earned her Professional Law Certificate from the Ghana School of Law in 1990.
In 1997, she received the Chevening Scholarship to pursue a Master of Laws degree at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
Her studies included international economic law, international banking and securities regulation, as well as international corporate finance.
She further pursued an Executive Master of Arts degree in Conflict, Peace and Security at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in 2016.
Her studies covered areas including international law, human rights, governance, security and conflict resolution.
Contributions beyond the courtroom
Since joining the Bench, Justice Bernasko Essah has contributed to Ghanaian jurisprudence through decisions involving areas including banking and finance, insurance, company law, commercial arbitration and maritime law.
She has also demonstrated a strong interest in gender justice and equality. Justice Bernasko Essah is a member of the International Association of Women Judges and has held leadership roles within its Ghana chapter.
She currently chairs the Gender Equity Committee of the Judicial Service of Ghana as well as the User Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Juvenile Justice for the Northern and Southern sectors of the Judicial Service.
The road back to Parliament
Under Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution, Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President in consultation with the Judicial Council and with the approval of Parliament.
The process includes vetting by Parliament's Appointments Committee before the nominees are considered for approval by the House.
Justice Bernasko Essah's return to Parliament as a Supreme Court nominee has therefore reopened a journey she began in 2024.
This time, however, the experienced Court of Appeal judge gets to complete the final stages of the process that began under a previous administration but did not result in her appointment to the country's highest court.
ANAS/VPO
Ghana's recovery due to superior economic management - Ato Forson
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
