THE CHIEF Justice, Mr. Edward Kwame Wiredu, has dropped a hint that the Kufuor administration has attained a conventional number of Supreme Court Judges and would not make any additional nominations to the Supreme Court again.
Justice Wiredu made this definite remarks last Wednesday when he met the Association of Magistrate and Judges at the Supreme court to discuss matters concerning the judiciary in camera.
He explained that the conventional ceiling of 13 Supreme Court Judges has been attained due to the recent vetting of five more nominations to the Supreme Court. Justice Wiredu noted that currently Supreme Court consist of eight judges, including himself.
He observed that with the additional five judges veted and yet to be approved by Parliament to bring to a total of 13 Supreme Court Judges, the conventional ceiling has been achieved and there would not be any nomination by the executive again.
He, therefore, dismissed the fear of some people that the government would pack the Supreme Court with its sympathisers.
Justice Wiredu vowed that as longs as he remained the CJ, he would not under any circumstance empanel more than the conventional number of 13 at the Supreme Court.
He re-stated his position that “I am not a Supreme Court Judge, I am the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana and the first judge of the land.”
Admonishing the judges and the magistrate, he noted that some judges who are in the habit of granting injunctions and bails “by heart” and are fond of remanding suspects unnecessary should stop that unlawful act.
He said that bail should not be granted on armed robbery and murder cases, especially at first instance.
On the death penalty, he reminded the judges, magistrates and those kicking against the death penalty that it was a law on our statute books and its only the President who has the prerogative of mercy.
Source: GhanaWeb
