Supreme Court nominee, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, has raised concerns about the financial autonomy of Ghana’s judiciary, stating that despite constitutional guarantees, the arm of government remains dependent on the executive for its funding.

He made this observation during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 16 June.

Justice Dzamefe explained that while the judiciary enjoys administrative and operational independence, its financial operations are constrained by the budgeting process, which is ultimately controlled by the executive and the legislature.

“When it comes to the judiciary, yes, we are independent, administratively, yes, we are independent, but financially we are not because you give us money—when the budget comes to you, you give what you think we need,” he told the committee.

He noted that this financial dependence undermines the effective and unhindered functioning of the judiciary.

Justice Dzamefe argued that true independence cannot be achieved if one arm of government must rely on another for its basic operational resources.

According to him, “a lot has to be done to ensure the judiciary does its work without any hindrances.”