Judges not appointed based on political affiliation but rather to “whom you know affair” – political analyst

A political analyst who doubles as a financial engineer Mr. Alex Emmanuel Nti has negated the claim that appointing a Judge has no political affiliation or consideration by Yaw Acheampong Boafo the President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

He said is every government appointment has a political connection or to whom you know affair.

Speaking to Ohene Kinnah on Plan B FM’s late afternoon show EBAANOSEN, Mr. Nti said, the GBA president can tell Ghanaians that the appointment of Judges is not political affiliation but he (Mr. Nti) believes that it is done on a family and friends affair.

” You can’t tell us that the appointment of Judges is not based on political affiliation or who you know, on the face of the reality it is none-partisan but deep down there it’s political and whom you know so I disagree with the president of Ghana Bar Association”

The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Acheampong Boafo, has denied allegations that political affiliation is considered when judges are appointed to the bench.

Speaking at the Ghana Bar Conference in Cape Coast, Boafo said that the allegations are untrue and that judges are appointed based on merit alone.

“It is instructive to state that same as the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court where nominations are made by three parties namely the government represented by the Attorney General, the judiciary, and the Bar, appointments to lower courts bench and high court are under advertisements in the dailies inviting persons qualified to apply,” he said.

Boafo, who is also a member of the Appointment Committee of the Judicial Council, said that the committee does not ask applicants about their political affiliation.

“There is never a requirement that an applicant has to show his political affiliation,” he added.

Boafo’s comments come amid concerns about the politicization of the judiciary in Ghana. In recent years, there have been several cases of judges being accused of bias in favor of the government.

However, Boafo said that the GBA is committed to ensuring that the judiciary remains independent.