Supreme Court judge nominee Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh has opposed calls to cap the number of Supreme Court justices in Ghana.

He argued that such a move would hinder the judiciary’s efficiency, given the court’s heavy workload.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, Justice Suurbaareh emphasized that the current open-ended system allows the President to appoint as many justices as needed to handle the Supreme Court’s extensive jurisdiction.

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“I do not think that the Supreme Court should be kept [at a fixed number]. If you look at the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the workload at the Supreme Court, capping the Supreme Court is not going to be helpful.”

He explained that the flexibility in appointments ensures the judiciary can adapt to changing demands.

“The open-ended way it is will give the appointing authority the power to appoint as many Supreme Court judges as will be needed at any point in time.”

However, he expressed confidence that the President would exercise this power responsibly.

“I believe that the appointing authority will use that power reasonably and will not, when they get up and appoint 100, 20, or 30 Supreme Court judges.”