President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged all interested parties to work together to create a new Ghanaian civilisation in which the rule of law would be a key guiding concept for the nation's growth.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of new justices of the Supreme Court, the President said, “all of us, from the executive, legislature, judiciary, public sector, security agencies, private sector, political parties, civil society, professional and trade associations, religious bodies, traditional authorities and ordinary citizens have a collective responsibility to work together with our different views and our different perspectives for the Ghana project.

“A united Ghana driven by considerations of social justice and solidarity, governed according to the rule of law, respect for individual liberties, human rights, and the principles of democratic accountability.”

The President said that the Supreme Court since 1966, has engendered a positive reputation for the quality of its philosophy of law.

 He is “hopeful that you who have already given good accounts of yourselves in high judicial office in the Court of Appeal will help strengthen the development of our nation’s constitutional and other jurisprudence in the Supreme Court.”

Indicating the sovereignty of the Supreme Court, he said “the Judiciary has exclusive jurisdiction, in all matters of the application of the law, civil and criminal, including matters relating to the interpretation and enforcement of the constitution.

“It has thus onerous responsibilities, to protect individual liberties and fundamental human rights of citizens to act as the arbiter in disputes between the state and the citizens, to act as the arbiter in disputes between the citizens and all persons. And to serve as the bulwark of the defense and promotion of the liberties and rights of our people.”

“Central to the execution of these functions, is the Supreme Court. As expressed in Article 129, the Supreme Court, our nation’s court of last resort, is not bound to follow decisions of any other court including its own and shall have all the powers, authority and jurisdiction vested in any court established by the constitution or any other law,” he continued.

In concluding, President Akufo-Addo expressed with emphasis the need for justices of the Supreme Court to possess “sound knowledge of the law and precedence, the principle of Stare Decisis which has been the bedrock for the evolution of the common law.”

He noted that the Supreme Court is “our nation’s court of last resort,” as he referenced from Article 129.