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The Minority in Parliament has announced its intention to approve Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as the Chief Justice of Ghana.
The group had initially suspended its consensus approval of the Chief Justice nominee, pending the full judgment of the Supreme Court on the dual citizenship case involving James Gyakye Quayson, the former Member of Parliament for Assin North.
Addressing the media, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga said although the minority caucus disagrees with the ruling of the apex court, it will not withhold its approval of the Chief Justice nominee.
“Thankfully, the reasoning in the James Gyakye Quayson case has been delivered by the Supreme Court earlier than 7th June. This has afforded us the opportunity to review the reasoning. The nominee for the post of Chief Justice (Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo) told the whole world that she is a textualist in her preferred approach to interpreting the Constitution of Ghana 1992.”
Mr. Ayariga argued that Mr. Quayson was eligible as a member of parliament at the time he was sworn in as an MP.
“The facts of the case, not disputed at any time, are that Quayson, at the time of being sworn in to become a member of Parliament, had successfully renounced all allegiances to any other country and his allegiance was to only the Republic of Ghana.”
Mr. Ayariga, therefore, said that following the prompt release of the Assin North judgment before the June 7 deadline issued, the Minority members of the Appointments Committee “will not withhold our approval of the Chief Justice nominee by consensus.”
The Minority had refused to pass a vote on the nominee after her vetting stating that they will only rescind the decision when the Assin North judgment is made available to it before June 7.
