President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has defended the appointment of additional judges, attributing it to the increasing workload faced by the judiciary.
While Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has proposed limiting the number of judges, President Akufo-Addo has supported Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s call for more judicial appointments.
At the swearing-in ceremony for 16 new Appeals Court judges at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the need for more judges due to the expansion of the court system. He noted, “The significant expansion of the personnel of the Court of Appeal occasioned by the appointment of these 16 new justices of Appeal which is a direct response to the challenge of an overburdened court system.”
The President also shared that the Chief Justice, with the backing of the judicial council, has decided to establish permanent Court of Appeal panels in five locations: Sekondi, Koforidua, Kumasi, Tamale, and Accra.