Parliament’s Minority caucus has staged a walkout during the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, branding the proceedings rushed and procedurally flawed.
The dramatic exit occurred during the screening of the first nominee before the Appointments Committee.
Prior to the walkout, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised strong preliminary objections, demanding that the process be halted until Parliament establishes the constitutional validity of the nominations.
Addressing the committee as it readied to vet Justice Sophia Bernasko-Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, and Anthony Forson Jnr, Afenyo-Markin insisted that official confirmation must be provided regarding prior constitutional steps.
“It should require the Clerk of Parliament or the Attorney General to confirm on record that the advice of the Judicial Council was in fact obtained and that genuine consultation with the Council of State in fact took place in respect of each of the three nominations,” he said.
He further cautioned against accepting the speeded-up schedule proposed by the Majority, arguing that it undermines thorough parliamentary scrutiny.
“A truncated timetable makes it materially harder for this Committee to verify that these upstream constitutional conditions were actually met rather than merely asserted. This Committee ought not to vet nominees whose own constitutional foundation has not first been confirmed,” he argued.
Afenyo-Markin also maintained that forcing the vetting through before Parliament adjourns breaches Article 296 of the 1992 Constitution, adding that no vacancy currently exists on the apex court bench to warrant such haste.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
