Mr. Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie, the nominee for Chief Justice, has announced his intention to implement a system that mandates the Supreme Court to adjudicate and deliver a final ruling on presidential election petitions before the official inauguration of the President-elect.
Appearing before the Vetting Committee of Parliament on Monday, November 10, 2025, the nominee outlined an existing proposal where the general presidential election would be held on November 7, allowing any subsequent dispute to be conclusively settled before the January 7 inauguration date.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie referenced the 2012 presidential election petition, which spanned eight months, noting that the apex court bench subsequently convened to establish a limited timeframe for adjudicating such matters. The 2020 election petition, which the court concluded within 42 days, was cited as an example of this improved, focused approach.
He affirmed that post-2012 discussions centred on the necessity of having election petitions fully concluded prior to the swearing-in ceremony.
“After the election petition, we came to the conclusion that it should be possible to have petitions concluded before January 7, which is the inauguration day. The best suggestion that came up was to hold elections on November 7 or 8,” he said.
“Assuming we go by the 42-day window provided by CI 99, petitions can be filed, responded to, and tried within that period,” he added.
To further reduce delays, the nominee suggested an additional procedural improvement: the electronic filing and service of court processes. This measure, he opined, would significantly reduce the time required to serve respondents—from the current seven days to a proposed three days.
“Every originating process has to be served personally on the respondent. But in this age, we can use digital addresses or phone numbers for online contact. If petitions are served electronically, it can take three days instead of a week,” he said.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie affirmed that, subject to his approval as Chief Justice, the pursuit and implementation of this expedited system would be a key priority.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
