Supreme Court nominee, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, has pledged to uphold the rule of law without bias, stating firmly that his personal religious beliefs will not influence his rulings—particularly in cases involving same-sex relationships.
His remarks come at a time of ongoing national debate around LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana, with legal and societal tensions at the forefront
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, June 16, 2025, Justice Adjei emphasized the duty of judges to remain neutral and guided solely by the law, irrespective of personal convictions or religious affiliations.
The judge was responding to a question about whether his Catholic faith could influence his handling of LGBTQ+-related matters.
He assured the committee that his faith would not interfere with his judicial responsibilities.
He said, “We’ve talked about our faith; it could be Christian faith, Muslim faith; it is your faith. But when you are in the courtroom, you have taken the judicial oath to be impartial, irrespective of the persons involved. Once you put on your judicial cap, you must act in accordance with the oath you have taken”.
“If any matter is brought before me; whether it is same-sex or whatever; I will look at the circumstances and the law, and I will give effect to the position of the law without being influenced by my faith. Otherwise, I would be abdicating my seat as a judge,” he stated.
“These are some of the cases that come before us. But when they come, we handle them without putting on our faith. Because if we did, every religious group would demand that one of their own be on the panel, which should not be the case.”
