Bawumia urges Mahama not to assent to Tribunals Bill

NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill, 2026.

He says the bill should not become law until the government has held broad national consultations on its implications for Ghana’s justice system.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, July 19, Dr Bawumia said a law that could reshape the country’s judicial structure must not be pushed through on the strength of parliamentary numbers alone.

According to him, justice is too important to be treated as a partisan matter.

He urged the President to pause the process and invite key stakeholders into a national conversation before deciding the fate of the bill.

“The bill will soon be transmitted to the President for his assent, and I have one respectful request of President Mahama. Mr President, do not assent to this bill. Pause and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter,” he said.

Dr Bawumia argued that the bill has raised concerns beyond party politics.

He cited the Trades Union Congress and organised labour, saying they had warned that the bill, in its current form, could be used to weaponise justice delivery.

“This is not a partisan request. The Trades Union Congress and the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers have called for the bill to be withdrawn, warning that in its current form, it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery,” he stated.

He also referred to the government’s Constitution Review Committee, which he said had recommended the removal of regional tribunals from the Constitution because the High Court had long taken over their caseloads.

Dr Bawumia said this made it even more necessary for the President to consult widely before assenting to the bill.

He called for engagement with the Ghana Bar Association, other lawyers’ groups, organised labour, civil society organisations, political parties and the judiciary.

“My call is simple and constructive, withhold your assent. Convene genuine national engagement. Invite the Ghana Bar Association and other lawyer groups, Organised Labour, CSOs and the political parties including my own and we will come in good faith and consult the judiciary itself,” he said.

The former Vice President maintained that the judiciary remains a central pillar of Ghana’s democracy and that any reform affecting justice delivery must be approached with caution and openness.

He said the legitimacy of such a law would depend not only on its passage by Parliament but also on public confidence in the process that produced it.

“Justice belongs to no government and no party, it belongs to the Ghanaian people and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus and not a headcount,” he said.

Dr Bawumia therefore urged President Mahama to use the opportunity not to sign the bill immediately, but to begin a wider national dialogue.

“Mr President, the pen is in your hand, use it not to assent to this bill but write an invitation to the nation,” he added.