Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has directed the leadership of the Appointments Committee to uphold the highest standards of civility and institutional respect in future vetting sessions.
This follows a heated confrontation between the majority and minority leaders during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, on Monday, November 10.
The incident unfolded when Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin referred to the Chief Justice nominee as a “disputed nominee”.
His comment immediately drew an objection from Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who described the remark as politically charged and inappropriate for the vetting process.
Mr Afenyo-Markin pushed back, accusing the Majority Leader of attempting to stifle legitimate parliamentary scrutiny and accountability.
Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 11, Speaker Bagbin reminded members of their duty to engage other arms of government with restraint and respect.
He stated that Parliament is committed to protecting the dignity of the Judiciary as an equal arm of government under the 1992 Constitution.
“As Speaker, I wish to reaffirm Parliament’s unwavering respect for the Judiciary as a coequal arm of government under Article 125, Clause 1 of the 1992 Constitution, which vests the judicial power of Ghana in the Judiciary. The Judiciary is independent of control or direction from any person or authority,” he said.
He stressed the importance of maintaining decorum, especially during sensitive processes such as vetting senior judicial officers.
“The doctrine of the separation of powers requires that all three arms of government, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, relate to one another with mutual respect and restraint,” the Speaker added.
Speaker Bagbin directed the leadership of the Appointments Committee to take note of the incident and ensure improved conduct going forward.
“Consequently, I have directed the leadership of the Appointments Committee to take note of this incident and to ensure that in all future proceedings, the highest standards of civility, objectivity and institutional respect are maintained.”
He reaffirmed Parliament’s longstanding relationship with the Judiciary and stressed the need to preserve cooperation between the two institutions in the collective interest of Ghana.
“Parliament cherishes the longstanding cooperation and mutual regard between our institutions. We must remain committed to strengthening that relationship in the collective service of the people of Ghana and the protection of our constitutional democracy.”
Speaker Bagbin also extended apologies on behalf of the House.
“Honourable members, on your behalf, I extend our deepest apologies and assurances of Parliament’s continued respect for the Judiciary and its team members.”