Supreme Court doesn’t adjudicate 'political cases' – Honyenuga

Supreme Court Judge Nominee Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga has said the Supreme court is not a place for politics.

Arguing his point, during his vetting on Monday, Justice Honyenuga explained “I know that, constitutional cases that come up, maybe i don’t know that is what you mean by political cases, but no cases are termed political cases in the supreme court.”

He dismissed the claims that the apex court is saddled with determining “political cases”.

Justice Honyenuga made the point when he appeared before the vetting committee of parliament on Monday, 11 May 2020.

The Supreme Court Justice nominee before his appointment has taken a lot of flak for his seeming endorsement of the President taking into consideration his position as a Court of Appeal Judge, who is barred from making such political endorsement per the code of their conduct.

It would be recalled that Justice Honyenuga who is also the Paramount Chief of the Nyagbo Traditional Area earlier this year in his welcome address to President Akufo-Addo at a durbar of chiefs and people of the Afajato South District, was full of praise for the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

“We wish to congratulate you for the excellent manner you are governing this dear country of ours; it is our hope that with your vision and the gains made in your first term, Ghanaians may consider giving you another four years,” he stated.

But the Justice nominee has said the address that contained the purported endorsement was a speech he was elected to read on behalf of the chiefs in his paramountcy accusing the media of misrepresentation of facts.

President Akufo-Addo’s four Supreme Court Justice nominees are being vetted beginning today Monday, May, 11, 2020, by the appointments committee of parliament.

The vetting exercise will last for two days.

Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga and Justice Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu met the committee today Monday, May, 11,2020, while Mr. Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi and Prof. Henrietta J.A.N Mensa-Bonsu are also scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday, May,12,2020.