The Minority in Parliament has stated that they will wait until the Supreme Court provides its justification for ordering Parliament to strike James Gyakye Quayson‘s name from the record of Parliament before making a decision regarding the Chief Justice Nominee Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
The Minority claimed in a statement that they did not participate in today’s vote on the President’s choice for the position of Chief Justice, “due to the unavailability of the reasoned judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter of Hon. James Gyakye Quayson
“It is important to state that the Appointments Committee not long ago in 2019 vetted and approved this same nominee as a justice of the Supreme Court. However, it was imperative for Members of The Minority on the Committee to evaluate the decisions of the nominee on all other cases, including the James Gyakye Quayson case since the vetting in 2019.
“We successfully evaluated the nominee on all relevant criteria except the outstanding matter of James Gyakye Quayson which would enable us to come to a decision. We expect the reasoned Judgement of the court on this matter by 7 June, 2023 to finalise our decision.
“We have duly communicated our challenge to our colleagues on the Majority side and expect their cooperation.”
Justice Torkornoo is vying for the position of Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah, who announced his retirement from the bench this week.
In April 2023, she received the president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s nomination.
In a letter to the Council of State, President Akufo-Addo said Justice Torkornoo who has been “on the Supreme Court for the last four (4) and has been a member of the Judiciary for the last nineteen (19) years is duly qualified and eminently fit to discharge the functions of Chief Justice.”
Justice Torkornoo will follow in the footsteps of Justices Georgina Theodora Wood and Sophia Akuffo to become the third female Chief Justice in history.
