GBA condemns Mahama’s judiciary comments

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned the comment by former President John Mahama that the judiciary has been packed with New Patriotic Party (NPP) aligned judges.

The GBA reacting to the comment by the former President described it as ill-informed, insisting a person’s political affiliation does not stop them from becoming judges and being fair in applying the law.

In a radio interview on Accra based Joy FM on Monday morning, the Public Relations Officer for the GBA, Saviour Kudze said “I don’t know how he came to that conclusion. There’s nothing wrong with former President Mahama advising a group of lawyers who have identified themselves as NDC lawyers to take up an appointment on the bench.

“But to make the allegation that the bench has now been packed with NPP-aligned judges that is unfortunate. Mr. Mahama is a man of influence and whatever he says carries a lot of weight”.

Bearing the above statement in mind, Mr Kudze urged the former President to back his claims with evidence but not mere hear say.

He explained that “If you want to be appointed to the bench, there are two critical things they must look out for in you; your moral uprightness and your knowledge of the law. I am yet to know of a requirement that will ask you of your political affiliation, political orientation, ideology and membership of a political party. I don’t know of it”. 

The fact that a lawyer is a politician does not mean he cannot be appointed as a judge. As we speak now, there are many judges or some judges who were political party executives not necessarily NPPs, even though there’s a sitting high court judge who is a former member of parliament on the ticket of the NDC”, he added.

“Did they refuse to appoint that person because he was in politics? No, because they were not looking at his political affiliation, not at all. That comment must be condemned,” he explained.

Saviour Kudze added that it made no sense why the former president would condemn what he describes as a wrong act and then in the same breath propose to entrench the same.

“Look, basically he doesn’t like what is currently happening, why does he want to come and perpetuate it? It means he’s not coming to do a reform meanwhile he was talking about reform. If you want to reform a situation that you don’t like do you come to continue it? I don’t think so,” he said.

He advised that such, “People with high influence of the stature of Mr. Mahama shouldn’t be saying this. Don’t forget he’s a candidate now vying to rule this country. Should he win this election, he’s coming to superintend on all these institutions.

“If you begin to say things like this about the institutions that you are yearning to come and superintend over does it augur well for our development as a state? That is why I am saying that you have made certain allegations assuming and not admitting they’re correct, why are you coming to perpetuate them?” he said.