The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has settled on Ms Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, as his choice for the position of Chief Justice, to take over from Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who retires on June 8, 2017.
Graphic gathered that President Akufo-Addo will today [Friday] announce and present her name to Parliament for approval.
The Council of State has already approved her nomination, and Ms Justice Akuffo has also been presented with her nomination letter.
Ms Akuffo, is the next most senior on the highest court of the land after Mr Justice William Atuguba, who is billed to retire soon.
Many had tipped Mr Justice Jones Victor Mawulom Dotse as the front runner in the race for the position of the fourth most powerful person in Ghana but Ms Justice Akuffo, described as a dark horse sprang a surprise.
She has been at the Supreme Court for the past two decades and has a master’s degree in Law (LL.M) from the Harvard University in the United States of America (USA).
She has been a member of the Governing Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute and Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Task Force.
In January 2006, she was elected one of the first judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and was re-elected until 2014 when she served as the Vice-President. She is the immediate past President of the court.
She is on the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council and has held membership of many organisations.
Her publications include: The Application of Information & Communications Technology in the Judicial Process - The Ghanaian Experience, presented to the African Judicial Network Ghana (2002).
Profile of New Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo
Ms Justice Akuffo, who has a master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Harvard in the United States of America (USA), has been a justice of the Supreme Court since 1995.
Deep-throat sources told the Daily Graphic that the Council of State has approved her nomination.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will officially announce Ms Justice Akuffo’s nomination at a press briefing at the Flagstaff House today.
The sources said she had since received her letter nominating her to the office of the fourth most powerful person in Ghana.
Her nomination will be forwarded to Parliament for approval when the house resumes by the end of this month.
The appointment
Article 144 (1) of the 1992 Constitution provides that “the Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President, acting in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament”.
Article 144 (2) provides that “the other Supreme Court justices shall be appointed by the President, acting on the advice of the Judicial Council, in consultation with the Council of State and with the approval of Parliament”.
The race
The Daily Graphic gathered last Tuesday that Ms Justice Akuffo was the top on the list, followed by Justices Jones Dotse and Anin Yeboah.
All the three justices have served creditably on the Bench and been part of or led judgements in landmark cases.
Lawyers and members of the Bench who spoke to the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity spoke highly of all the contenders and were unanimous in their views that they all deserved the position.
Profile of Ms Justice Akuffo
Ms Justice Akuffo has served as a justice of the Supreme Court for the past two decades.
She has been a member of the Governing Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute and Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force.
In January 2006, she was elected as one of the first judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and was re-elected until 2014 when she served as the Vice-President. She is the immediate past President of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
She is on the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council and has held membership of several organisations, including the Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute.
Her publications include The Application of Information & Communication Technology in the Judicial Process - The Ghanaian Experience, presented to the African Judicial Network Ghana (2002).
Retirement
Justice Sophia Akuffo is the second most senior judge on the highest court of the land after Mr Justice William Atuguba, who is billed to retire next year.
The Daily Graphic also gathered that the President was confronted with making a choice from senior justices and the lot fell on Justice Akuffo and Justice Atuguba.
Although Justice Atuguba is the most senior, if appointed the new Chief Justice, he will serve only for about a year and retire.
Consequently, President Akufo-Addo, upon consultation with the Council of State, settled on Justice Akuffo who has more than two years to her retiring age and has a high international experience.
The office of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana will become vacant with effect from June 9, 2017, when Mrs Justice Wood leaves office after 40 years of service to the nation.
Source: Graphic
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The Lady waited for her time. She was supposed to come before the present C J. This is indeed her time.
@@ Tony the Bull; massa for me ; I am a die hard akan tribalist and not stoking any tribalism for me but exposing the the reality ; to me it is a joke when people pretend that there is no tribalism in Ghana and refuse to face the fact that our past leaders includin JJ Rawlings and Gen Kotoka who overthrew kwame Nkrumah practised and introduced the highest level of tribalism in Ghana and the cause of our economic melt down today by reason of this TOXIC tribalism !!!!!!! ; JJ Rawling enshrined tribalism in Ghana followed by Jon Mahama and people suffered ; on June 4th this evil JJ Rawlings killed most Akans and even killCol Kotei ; what did Col Kotei do to be killed ; did the man steel any state monies or build houses ; Nana Addo has chossen to appoint his relative as CJ ; what is WRONG about that besides you are WRONG !!!!!!the whole of the country does not think that way because we all know ewes are the most inward people who complain about everything ; they are thiffs and arrogant people who even go as far as to praise woyome and JJ rawlings as their illustrus sons who are murderers and nation wreckers and thiffs ; the evidence is there historically.
Congrats to Justice Sophia Akuffo. The 'create, loot & share' comment destroyed Dotse. You don't sit in the Supreme Court and talk 'by heart'. Hope he has learnt his lesson
It's about time we comment positively when an elderly or a leader takes decision. You people should go and take the leadership position so that u can decide for the nation aaaba, what's that. Every decision u either criticize or lambast how can't u show some little respect ad3n panin nni mmo fie anaa, na 3buo ketekete kakra koraa nni mmo mmu saa no. After he did not take the decision alone, the President consulted the Council of state and it shall finally go to parliament for approval. If u want to be part of the decision makers in 2020 stand for the presidency or as a member of parliament so that we vote for to take your own decision. Make u all keep quiet and let's the driver silently takes us to the destination. Amen
Please note that Justice Dotse was appointed to the Supreme Court by an Akan. Please stop the tribal sentiments. Ghana must progress.
DO WE HAVE TO BE STOKING TRIBAL SENTIMENTS AS YOU ARE DOING? HAVE WE NOT COME TOO FAR FOR THIS TYPE OF THINKING IF YOU GO TO EUROPE OR AMERICA OR YOUR RELATIVES ARE KILLED DUE TO XENOPHOBIC THINKING, PLEASE TAKE IT IN YOUR STRIDE AND DO NOT COMPLAIN OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE THE MOST UNPRINCIPLED PERSON. LUCKILY THE REST OF THE COUNTRY THINK DIFFERENTLY. THERE IS INTER MARRIAGE, PLURALISTIC COMMUNITIES WHICH IS CONTINUALLY IMPROVING SO I HAVE HOPE.
The name is from Akuapem so if you are lucky to have a father from there then count yourself blessed.
@ Kwabena Donkor: The name Akuffo is an Akuapem name from Akuapem-Akropong. The Akuapem-Akropong's inherit matrilinially that is why you will for instance notice that, the President, H.E Nana Akuffo-Addo is skewed towards the Akyem lineage where his mother comes from.
One has to carefully research and tell me where the name AKUFFO originated from,it look and seems it is producing great and great people in our countrys socio economic development.Please PEACEFM help us know the origin of that name....in know time that particular family that produces that name will become the greatest family in the country....name it,from governance,judiciary,banking,economy,legislation,Police,military,etc that name is always mention.Please help me unravel the mystery of the name.
Let's do away with the tribal concept in the appointment, after all, one, among he lot will have to occupy the hot seat. And I know Justice Atubuga will not be appointed even if he has ten more years to retire. The last presidential election ruling which lasted less than five minutes, is still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians.