Justice Senyo Dzamefe has insisted that the retirement age for Justices of the Supreme Court should be maintained at the age of 70.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament today, the Justice rejected the opinion of increasing the retirement age to 75.

"My opinion is to keep it at 70 and not 75," he said.

His rationale - Justice Senyo Dzamefe stated that "I want judges to retire very healthy."

He noted that upon retiring at the age of 70, the retired justices "can help the Judiciary of the Service in other forms, like assessors to filter our cases. So I think we maintain it at 70."

The Appointments Committee of Parliament is vetting President John Mahama’s seven Supreme Court judge nominees today, Monday, June 16.

According to Parliament in its circular shared on its Facebook platform, the vetting process to be spearheaded by the committee’s chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, who also doubles as the First Deputy Speaker in Parliament, will end on Wednesday, June 18.

The vetting process commences at 10am in Committee Rooms 1, 2 & 3 New Administration Block of Parliament.The other listed nominees include Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba.

Their vetting comes after the Speaker of Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin on May 27 referred the nominees to the Appointments Committee for vetting and subsequent approval.

This is in accordance with Article 144(2) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which mandates that Supreme Court nominees undergo parliamentary scrutiny before their appointments are confirmed.

The Appointments Committee, will be chaired by Bernard Ahiafor, and assisted by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.Other members of the committee also include, Alexander Afenyo-Markin (Ranking Member), Patricia Appiagyei (Deputy Ranking Member), Mahama Ayariga (Majority Leader), Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Patrick Yaw Boamah, Shaibu Mahama, Alhassan Umar, Kwame Governs Agbodza.

About the nominees

Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei – A Court of Appeal judge since 2010, he was elected to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2022 for a six-year term. He has served as Director of the Judicial Training Institute and Dean of the Faculty of Law at GIMPA. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at multiple universities.

Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh – Appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2010, he previously served as the Supervising High Court Judge in the Eastern Region and is known for his expertise in constitutional and administrative law and represents Court of Appeal judges on Ghana’s Judicial Council.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe – A Court of Appeal judge since 2010, he chaired the Dzamefe Commission, which investigated Ghana’s performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was elected President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) in 2018.

Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo - A Court of Appeal judge, has emphasised the need for legal education reforms and has advocated for the integration of artificial intelligence into Ghana’s legal system to enhance efficiency and transparency.

Justice Philip Bright Mensah – Known for his contributions to appellate jurisprudence, he recently presided over a Court of Appeal panel that directed the Accra High Court to adopt proceedings from a previous trial in the Republic vs. Stephen Kwabena Opuni case.

Justice Janpere Bartels-Kodwo – A Court of Appeal judge, he has been nominated to strengthen the Supreme Court’s capacity amid increasing demands on Ghana’s judiciary.

Justice Hafisata Ameleboba – A Court of Appeal judge, she has been involved in key judicial decisions and reforms. Her nomination is expected to bring diversity and expertise to the Supreme Court.