President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday swore in three new Supreme Court (SC) Judges, urging them to let the Constitution remain their compass.

The new judges to the nation’s apex court are Mrs Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah and Mr. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, who were both Court of Appeal Judges; and Mr. Justice Tony Forson, a private legal practitioner and a former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

“Let the Constitution remain your compass. You will sometimes be called upon to decide matters that generate strong public emotions and competing political interests,” the President said.

He added: “In those movements, you must remain unmoved by the pressures, the praise or the criticism. Do not allow yourselves to be defined by the individuals, governments or institutions that appear before you.”

The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidency in Accra was witnessed by Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

The President congratulated the three new Supreme Court Judges and wished them a successful and distinguished tenure at the Supreme Court of Ghana.

He appealed to them to let the quality of their reasoning define their legacy, the fairness of their decisions and their unwavering loyalty to the Constitution.

He urged them to remember, always, that behind every case file were human beings whose rights, livelihoods, freedoms and futures might depend upon their judgments.

President Mahama urged them to approach every matter with humility, listen patiently, examine the law carefully, decide courageously, and let justice and the national interests remain their abiding purpose.

He said the three justices sworn on Thursday bring complementary strength to the nation’s Supreme Court.

The President said Mrs. Justice Essah brings extensive bench experience and familiarity with the nation’s domestic judicial system.

He said Mr Justice Asante brings national appellate experience together with a distinguished leadership in regional identification, while Mr Justice Forson brings the practical insights of private legal practise and institutional prospective men from leading the Ghana Bar Association.

He noted that together these various experiences should deepen the Court’s deliberations and contribute to the continued development of Ghanaian law.

“As President, I am fully committed to judicial independence,” he said.

President Mahama said judicial independence was not a privilege granted to judges for their personal benefits and that it was a protection that was afforded to citizens so that their rights might be determined fairly, even when the issues before the courts were difficult and popular or politically sensitive.

Adding that that independence must however be matched by accountability, discipline, fidelity to the judicial both.

President Mahama said public confidence in the judiciary depends not only on the soundness of its decisions, but also on the conduct of judges, the accessibility of the courts and the timely delivery of justice.

He said justice, delayed, continues to impose immense hardship on their ordinary citizens, adding that prolonged cases, avoidable adjustments and delays in delivering judgments, weaken confidence in the judicial system and could amount to a denial of justice.

“I therefore urge the judiciary to continue pursuing reforms that improve efficiency and embrace appropriate technology and make justice more accessible to all guardians, regardless of their income, their status or geographical location.”

The President said the Supreme Court must also communicate its reasoning with extreme clarity, its decisions should provide dependable guidance to lower courts, to public institutions, legal practitioners and above all to their citizens.

He said clear and well-reasoned judgments strengthen the law and promote respect and trust in the judicial process.

Mrs. Justice Essah on behalf of her colleagues expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the confidence reposed in them by appointing them to serve as Justices in the nation’s apex Court.

She also expressed gratitude to God whose grace, strength and guidance had sustained them throughout their respective journeys and brought them to this moment. 

“We are deeply grateful for His goodness and for the privilege of this moment.”

She said the solemn oaths they took earlier on “to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Ghana and to administer justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will” would find expression in every matter “we hear and every judgement we deliver.

She affirmed: “We come to the Supreme Court conscious that the judiciary office is a sacred public trust.

She added: “We are called not to bend the law to personal preference, but to interpret and apply it faithfully, impartially and courageously. That duty lies at the heart of judicial office. We shall be independent enough to decide according to law.”