Gov’t proposes 10-year fixed term for Chief Justice, 19-member cap for Supreme Court

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The government has proposed a fixed single term of office for Ghana’s Chief Justice and a limit on the number of Supreme Court justices as part of planned constitutional reforms.Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the government’s position on Thursday, July 30, after the Constitutional Review Committee presented its final report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Presidency.Speaking at …. , Dr Ayine said the government supports a constitutional amendment that would allow the Chief Justice to serve a single, non-renewable term of 10 years or remain in office until reaching the mandatory retirement age, whichever comes first.“Regarding the Judiciary, two positions deserve mention. First, the Government supports a fixed tenure for the Chief Justice: a single, non-renewable term of ten years, or until the retirement age, whichever occurs first,” he said.According to him, the proposal is intended to ensure orderly leadership transitions within the Judiciary and prevent a Chief Justice from occupying the office for an extended period.“This ensures predictable transitions at the head of the Judiciary and removes the risk of prolonged or indefinite occupancy of that high office,” Dr Ayine explained.The Attorney-General also announced that the government supports placing a constitutional cap on the size of the Supreme Court.While the Constitutional Review Committee recommended limiting the Court to 15 justices, the government is proposing a larger bench comprising 19 members.“Second, the Government supports capping the Supreme Court’s membership. The Committee recommended a cap of fifteen Justices. The Government proposes nineteen, that is, the Chief Justice and eighteen others,” Dr Ayine said.He explained that setting a maximum number of justices would improve the Court’s efficiency while helping to manage public expenditure.“A cap promotes efficiency and manages public expenditure, while a bench of nineteen remains sufficiently robust to discharge the Court’s constitutional mandate,” he stated.