The Minority members on the Appointments Committee of Parliament, led by Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, have raised a preliminary objection to the procedure adopted for the vetting of three nominees for appointment to the Supreme Court, arguing that the nominees were not advertised for the required minimum period of fourteen (14) days.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin, speaking on behalf of the Minority, based the objection on nine (9) grounds but stressed that it was not directed at the nominees as individuals. Rather, he said, the objection was against a process which, in the view of the Minority, could not lawfully and properly be completed within the three remaining days of the recall of Parliament.
The Minority Leader argued, among other things, that the Supreme Court currently has a full complement of Justices and that the nominees are being considered to add to the existing membership rather than to fill vacancies caused by death, retirement or removal.
He therefore contended that there was no immediate exigency to justify what he described as a rushed process.
He further argued that the normal practice of advertising the announcement of nominees for vetting for a minimum of fourteen (14) days had been reduced to only four days without properly moving a motion on the floor of Parliament to suspend Standing Order 3.
Following the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bernard Ahiafo’s ruling that the Minority’s objection had no grounds, the Minority members walked out of the proceedings.
Hon. Ahiafo explained that Standing Order 3, which governs the suspension of rules and procedural flexibility during parliamentary sittings, had been satisfied when the House adopted the Business Committee’s Statement containing a request to waive Standing Order 3 on Monday, August 24, 2026.
The Minority, however, maintained its objection and subsequently withdrew from the vetting proceedings.
