Justice Mensah: Supreme Court Should Have 20 Judges to Handle Caseload
During his parliamentary vetting on June 17, 2025, Supreme Court nominee Justice Philip Bright Mensah advocated for increasing the number of justices on Ghana’s apex court to 20, citing the expanding national caseload and the need for multiple panels. 1. Increasing Caseload & Backlog Justice Mensah noted that the Supreme Court was unable to finalize the majority of cases, citing courts disposing of only about 344 out of 939 pending cases in 2022/23—leaving roughly 595 cases unaddressed. With appeals progressing from High Court to the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court, he argued more justices are necessary to manage growing demand. 2. Panel Mechanism Explained He emphasized that routine Supreme Court decisions are heard by five-judge panels, while critical matters often require seven-justice panels.With more cases entering the docket, he maintained that 20 judges would allow for four […]