The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has sworn in Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah as the 14th Chief Justice of Ghana.
Sworn into office on Constitution Day, Tuesday, January 07, 2020 —a day chosen to celebrate as a public holiday to commemorate the virtues of constitutionalism, Chief Justice Anin Yeboah replaces Justice Sophia Akuffo, who went into retirement on December 20, 2019.
Parliament announced on Thursday, December 12, 2019 that President Akufo-Addo had written to the legislature in accordance with Article 144 (1) of the Country’s Constitution on his nomination of Justice Anin Yeboah, as Chief Justice.
Parliament subsequently on December 24, 2019 unanimously approved the President’s nominee.
Born May 1953, Justice Anin Yeboah after graduating from law school started off as an Assistant State Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General’s Department, in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
As the long serving Secretary, he was subsequently elected President of the Eastern Regional Bar Association.
Justice Anin Yeboah was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ghana in June 2008 by former President Kufuor, having served as a Justice of the Court of Appeal (2003-2008) and the High Court (2002-2003) in Ghana.
At a brief ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo administrated the Oath of Allegiance, the Judicial Oath, and the Oath of Secrecy to Justice Anin Yeboah, and subsequently presented to him the instrument of appointment.
This is the second time that the President has had the honour of discharging the constitutional obligation of administering the Oath of Office to the Chief Justice.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo commended Justice Julius Ansah for holding the fort, though briefly, as acting Chief Justice during the retirement of Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, and the swearing in today of Justice Anin Yeboah.
“Appropriately, we are doing so on Constitution Day—a day chosen to celebrate as a public holiday to commemorate the virtues of constitutionalism which has enabled us in the fourth republic to enjoy the benefits of the most prolonged period of stable constitutional governance in our country’s history.”
President Akufo-Addo expressed confident that Justice Anin Yeboah will be an effective leader of the Judiciary, guard jealousy its independence, bring honour to the Judiciary and the country, and a worthy successor to Justice Sophia Akuffo.
“I expect decency, discipline, fairness, hard work, deep seated respect for the rule of law, and the continuing modernisation of judicial activity to be the hallmarks of your era as Chief Justice,” he told the new Chief Justice.
President Akufo-Addo said it is critical for the growth of the nation that ‘we have a Judiciary that commands the respect of the people by the quality of its delivery of justice, as well as the comportment of its Judges.’
This, the President said is vitally important as “we have Judges who are honest, possess integrity and the sound knowledge of the law.”
President Akufo-Addo said the Judiciary has the onerous responsibility of being the bulwark of the defence of the liberty and rights of Ghanaians.
“This, the Judiciary can only carry out that task when it has the unalloyed respect.”
The President said in situation where Judges proffer Judgements, on the basis of the decisions from the lower courts and cite them as law is not acceptable, and even less so when Judges cite no authority at all for their rulings and give Judgements, and give orders without reasons.
He urged Judges to demonstrate high sense of integrity, “must be learned, no your case law, and ensure your decisions and judgements are properly motivated.”
“You have a big duty to demonstrate integrity, decency, fairness, in all your dealings if public support for the judiciary is to be maintained,” he told the Justices.
President Akufo-Addo commended the Council of State and Parliament for discharging their legitimate responsibilities in the approval process of the new Chief Justice.
On his part, Chief Justice Anin Yeboah thanked the President for the confidence reposed in him.
The occasion was witnessed by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, former Presidents—Jerry John Rawlings, and John Agyekum Kufuor, former Chief Justices—Justice Theodore Woode and Justice Sophia Akuffo.
Other dignitaries include the Clergy, the Chief Imam, Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Ghana Bar Association, and other high profile dignitaries.
