Parliament postpones vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah to Monday
The disagreement over the date for the vetting of the President’s nominee for the position of Chief Justice was settled on Thursday after the Majority and the Minority in Parliament agreed that the vetting should take place on Monday, December 23, 2019.
The agreement followed further consultations by the two sides and an intervention by the leadership of Parliament.
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The Minority had threatened to boycott the vetting of Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, which had earlier been fixed for tomorrow, citing short notice.
They accused the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, of attempting to rush the process through, an accusation he vehemently denied.
Minority satisfied
Following the agreement, the Minority issued a statement indicating their readiness to fully participate in the vetting.
The statement, signed by the Minority Leader, said: “We have today reached an understanding that makes it possible to reconsider our position and commit to participating in the vetting of the President's nominee for the high office of Chief Justice.”
It added: “The Minority had taken note that the public vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah shall now be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 23, 2019.”
It urged Ghanaians to expect the Minority to discharge their constitutional duty diligently and thoroughly, “especially considering our high regard for the eminent office the nominee will be occupying as head of the judicial arm of government, if approved”.
It further emphasised that their position on the matter was born out of respect for their practice and processes, without any prejudice whatsoever to the nominee in question.
It gave an assurance that the Minority would continue to place first the larger interest of Ghana and insist on strict adherence to credible parliamentary democracy.
Background
The Minority had earlier stated that they would not take part in Saturday’s scheduled vetting of Justice Anin Yeboah, citing short notice.
The group, however, stated that its refusal to participate in the process had nothing to do with the person of the nominee but that parliamentary protocol, which allowed a two-week period for the submission of memoranda on nominees before they were vetted, had been breached by the Majority.
A statement issued by the office of the Minority Leader last Monday said the group had utmost regard for the principle of a strong independent and diligent Parliament devoid of rubber stamp tendencies.
Who is Justice Anin Yeboah?
Justice Anin Yeboah is currently the fourth longest-serving Justice of the Supreme Court.
A graduate of the Ghana School of Law in 1981, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President John Agyekum Kufuor in June 2008.
Prior to that, he had served as a Justice of the High Court from 2002 to 2003 and a Justice of the Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2008.
Apart from being a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah is also a part-time lecturer in Civil Procedure and the Ghana Legal System at the Ghana School of Law.
Justice Anin Yeboah’s name is also associated with football. In May 2017, he was appointed the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Federation of
International Football Associations (FIFA).
He also served as the Chairman of the Appeal’s Committee of the Ghana Football Association from 2004 to 2008.