Supreme Court nominee, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, has underscored the imperative of keeping personal religious convictions separate from judicial responsibilities, particularly in cases involving LGBTQ+ rights and other contentious issues.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 16 June 2025, Justice Adjei emphasised that judges are sworn to uphold the law impartially and must not allow private beliefs to interfere with their duties on the bench.

“When we talk about our faiths—whether Christian, Muslim, or any other—it is a personal matter,” he remarked.

“But when you are in the courtroom, you have taken an oath to be impartial, regardless of who appears before you. Once I put on my judicial cap, I must act according to that oath.”

Asked whether his strong Catholic faith could compromise his handling of same-sex related cases, Justice Adjei firmly denied that his religious views would affect his legal reasoning or judgments.

Drawing on his current experience at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, he noted that he had presided over complex rights-based matters and always applied the law fairly.

“If any matter comes before me, whether it concerns same-sex issues or something else, I will consider the facts and apply the law. My faith will not influence the outcome,” he assured the committee. “Anything else would be a failure to discharge my duty as a judge.”

Justice Adjei further cautioned that allowing religious beliefs to influence judicial decisions could erode public trust in the judiciary and foster sectarianism.

“If faith were to guide judgments, then each religious group might want someone on the bench to speak for their interest. That should not be the case,” he said.