Togbe Afede raises concern over uncapped Supreme Court justices

Togbe Afede XIV has called for a review of how Supreme Court justices are appointed, warning that the absence of a constitutional ceiling on the number of judges could expose the court to political manipulation.

The President of the Asogli Traditional Area and former President of the National House of Chiefs said Ghana must take stronger steps to protect the independence and credibility of the judiciary.

He made the remarks in Accra during the climax of activities marking the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court.

According to Togbe Afede, the strength of the country’s highest court depends not only on the quality of judges appointed, but also on the system that governs their appointment.

“As a nation, we will have to support making the judiciary and the Supreme Court independent and strong. One way to do it is to take a second look at the way we appoint our justices,” he said.

He noted that judges are expected to serve impartially once appointed.

However, he said the current framework, which does not place an upper limit on the number of Supreme Court justices, creates room for successive additions to the Bench.

Togbe Afede warned that such unrestricted expansion could be used to serve political ends.

“The absence of an upper limit to the total number of Supreme Court judges allows adding, adding, and adding to satisfy political objectives,” he cautioned.

He said the issue deserves national attention because the Supreme Court occupies a central place in Ghana’s constitutional democracy.

For him, introducing clearer safeguards around judicial appointments would help strengthen public trust in the court and protect it from perceptions of political influence.

Togbe Afede stressed that a strong and independent Supreme Court is essential to the rule of law, constitutional accountability and confidence in the justice system.