Ghana's judiciary is on the cusp of a significant transition with the impending retirement of Chief Justice Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie on December 26, 2026. His Lordship Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2015, is among the senior members of the Supreme Court Bench. The principle of hierarchical ascendency to the highest position within a professional service has been advocated for many years in Ghana, emphasizing merit, accumulated experience, seniority, and dedicated years of service.
The concept of a merit-based and seniority-driven appointment process to the highest offices of professional institutions promotes institutional sanity, encourages discipline, and motivates officers to aspire to the highest levels of their respective professions. This approach, once implemented, would depoliticize professional career ascension and strengthen institutional independence and competence. A predictable career pathway, where commitment, competence, and years of service are rewarded, is also created.
A proposed career progression model for Ghana's judiciary includes a clear pathway for promotion from lower courts to higher courts, based on demonstrated competence, integrity, and dedicated service over a prescribed number of years. Additionally, justices of the Court of Appeal who have served meritoriously for a prescribed period should be eligible for elevation to the Supreme Court, subject to a clearly established professional code of conduct.
The model also suggests a transparent pathway for lawyers in private practice to enter the judicial service after accumulating sufficient years of distinguished legal practice and meeting the required standards for judicial appointment. Once appointed, they should enter the appropriate professional bracket and participate in the established career progression system.
At the apex of the judiciary, the leadership of the Supreme Court should reflect accumulated judicial experience, professional seniority, integrity, and demonstrated competence. His Lordship Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang's accumulated private legal practice and over a decade of Supreme Court experience make him a strong candidate for consideration for the apex office, given his seniority and merit.
The broader national objective is to establish a judicial system where the highest office is attained through professional excellence, institutional experience, and demonstrated commitment to the administration of justice. A culture of professional seniority, balanced with merit and constitutional safeguards, would contribute significantly to institutional independence, growth, public confidence, and sustainable nation-building.
As Ghana builds institutions where people aspire to the top through service, competence, and integrity, the judiciary's appointment process will play a crucial role in shaping the country's future. With the retirement of Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, the opportunity for reform and implementation of a merit-based and seniority-driven system has arisen, and stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the process unfolds.
Key points
- The principle of hierarchical ascendency to the highest position within a professional service emphasizes merit, accumulated experience, seniority, and dedicated years of service.
- A proposed career progression model for Ghana's judiciary includes clear pathways for promotion from lower courts to higher courts and from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.
- The leadership of the Supreme Court should reflect accumulated judicial experience, professional seniority, integrity, and demonstrated competence.
