Anin-Yeboah Faces vetting C’ee Today – As Minority Makes U-Turn

The Chief Justice nominee, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah would face Parliament’s Vetting Committee today.

The agreement for the vetting this morning follows consultations by the Majority and Minority sides and an intervention by the leadership of Parliament.

This follows his nomination subject to Parliamentary approval for the top judicial job by the President Nana Akufo-Addo early this month in accordance with Article 144 (1) of the Constitution.

The president stated that he is fully confident in Justice Anin Yeboah’s capacity to ’eminently’ occupy the office of Ghana’s Chief Justice.

If approved, Justice Anin-Yeboah, who is the fourth longest-serving Justice of the Supreme Court, will succeed Justice Sophia Abena Boafoa Akuffo, who retired on December 20, 2019.

Minority Boycott

But the Minority had threatened to boycott the vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah initially scheduled to come off on Saturday, December 21, 2019, citing short notice.

They accused the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, of attempting to rush the process through, an accusation he vehemently denied.

Following the agreement, the Minority issued a statement indicating their readiness to fully participate in the vetting scheduled for today.

The statement, signed by the Minority Leader, said: “We have today reached an understanding that makes it possible to reconsider our position and commit to participating in the vetting of the President’s nominee for the high office of Chief Justice.”

It added: “The Minority had taken note that the public vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah shall now be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 23, 2019.”

The statement urged Ghanaians to expect the Minority to discharge their constitutional duty diligently and thoroughly, “especially considering our high regard for the eminent office the nominee will be occupying as head of the judicial arm of government, if approved”.

It further emphasised that their position on the matter was born out of respect for their practice and processes, without any prejudice whatsoever to the nominee in question.

It gave an assurance that the Minority would continue to place first the larger interest of Ghana and insist on strict adherence to credible parliamentary democracy.

Nominee

Justice Anin-Yeboah, a well-seasoned lawyer, was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President John Agyekum Kuffuor in June 2008.

He has also served as a Justice of the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

In addition, he is a part-time lecturer in Civil Procedure and the Ghana Legal System at the Ghana School of Law.

Prior to that, he had served as a Justice of the High Court from 2002 to 2003 and a Justice of the Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2008.

The Supreme Court Justice’s name is also associated with football.

In May 2017, he was appointed the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).

He also served as the Chairman of the Appeal’s Committee of the Ghana Football Association from 2004 to 2008.