There must be serious introspection on petitions to remove the Chief Justice- Prof Agyeman-Duah

Former UN Senior Governance Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has called for reflection on handling petitions to remove the Chief Justice.

His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama's suspension of the Chief Justice. This decision has sparked public and political debate.

On JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, Professor Agyeman-Duah expressed concern about the separation of powers. He stated, “In a democracy, the last thing you want is for the Executive to undermine another arm of government.”

He noted that historically, presidents have acted cautiously when displeased with Chief Justices. “Even in such cases, those leaders acted with caution,” he said.

Professor Agyeman-Duah emphasized respecting the constitution. He stated, “The constitution provides a clear process for handling such matters.” He praised Inusah Fuseni’s presentation for highlighting the importance of following constitutional procedures.

He explained that while processes must be followed, the president has some discretion. He recalled an incident during former President Akufo-Addo’s tenure involving a petition.

“In that case, the president consulted with the Council of State,” he said. “He determined there was no prima facie case and declined to proceed.” This approach upheld separation of powers without formal proceedings.

In contrast, he noted that the current president chose to move forward with the petition. “You cannot fault him because he is following the process,” he said.

“While this aligns with constitutional procedure, the president could have exercised discretion as others have done,” he added.

He concluded by urging reflection on how such petitions are treated in a democratic system. “We need to ensure the integrity of our democratic institutions,” he said.