Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that the government has accepted a proposal to introduce a fixed, non-renewable 10-year term of office for future Chief Justices as part of its constitutional reform agenda.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Thursday, July 30, Dr Ayine said Cabinet had endorsed the recommendation of the Constitution Review Committee aimed at ensuring greater certainty in judicial leadership and succession.
“Regarding the Judiciary, two positions deserve mention. First, the Government supports a fixed tenure for the Chief Justice: a single, non-renewable term of ten years, or until the retirement age, whichever occurs first,” he said.
He explained that the proposed reform is intended to create a more predictable system for leadership transitions at the apex of the Judiciary while preventing indefinite occupancy of the office.
“This ensures predictable transitions at the head of the Judiciary and removes the risk of prolonged or indefinite occupancy of that high office,” Dr Ayine explained.
The Attorney General said the proposal forms part of a broader package of judicial reforms contained in the government’s position paper on the Constitution Review Committee’s recommendations. The reforms are expected to be incorporated into constitutional amendment bills to be laid before Parliament later this year.
The proposal comes at a time when issues surrounding the office of the Chief Justice have attracted significant public attention.
In recent months, former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has faced impeachment proceedings after petitions seeking her removal were admitted by President John Dramani Mahama in accordance with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
A committee was subsequently constituted to investigate the petitions, with the process generating widespread legal and political debate over judicial independence and constitutional accountability.
If approved through the constitutional amendment process, the proposed 10-year fixed tenure would apply to future Chief Justices and would fundamentally change the current system, under which a Chief Justice serves until the mandatory retirement age unless removed in accordance with the Constitution.
