Story By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
Supreme Court nominee Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo has emphasized the need for judges to be trained on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to safeguard Africa’s economic integration vision.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Justice Ackaah-Boafo warned that without proper understanding, court decisions could inadvertently harm the continent’s trade prospects.
“If we don’t understand the agreement, I think we may use our Order 25 to impose an injunction, and the entire market may collapse,” he cautioned.
He highlighted the importance of Ghanaian judges being knowledgeable about AfCFTA, given that the secretariat is based in Ghana.
“Let Ghanaian judges be trained on the AfCFTA because we have the headquarters, and they will come to us,” he said.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo also called for reforms to the current dispute settlement mechanism, which only allows state parties to file cases, excluding small businesses and individuals.
“If Uncle Kwaku’s company is in dispute with a company from Kenya, then it’s the State of Ghana that must be fighting for you. That is where I take the position that the dispute settlement mechanism under AfCFTA ought to be looked at to give SMEs and individuals standing,” he explained.
