Supreme Court nominee Anthony Forson Jr. has opposed proposals to cap the number of justices at the apex court, arguing that its broad jurisdiction and workload make a fixed limit impractical.
He said capping the number of justices at 19 could create challenges for the efficient administration of justice unless the country first reduces the range of matters that fall under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Mr Forson said his position was informed by his experience and participation in discussions on judicial reforms.
“I’m one of the advocates of no capping because of my experience and the kind of seminars that I have been to,” he said.
He cited an earlier constitutional review discussion in Parliament, where Justice Frimpong Manso reportedly raised concerns about limiting the number of Supreme Court justices given the court’s extensive jurisdiction.
“In fact, one of them was in this very chamber where my Lord Justice Frimpong indicated to the committee when we were doing the constitutional review that because of the jurisdictions that have been given to the Supreme Court, which are so wide, capping will bring a problem,” he said.
Mr Forson argued that any decision to cap the number of justices should be considered alongside the court’s constitutional mandate.
“So, unless we as a country decide to reduce the jurisdictions which have been allocated to the Supreme Court, for now, there should be no cap,” he said.
His comments come as Ghana considers constitutional reforms, including a proposal accepted by the government to cap the membership of the Supreme Court at 19 and introduce a fixed tenure for the Chief Justice.
Mr Forson also pointed to the workload that prompted previous expansions of the Supreme Court, arguing that the same considerations remain relevant.
“Indeed, if you look at the write-ups on the justification for the expansion of the membership of the Supreme Court, it was clear that the current composition was unable to cope with the workload,” he said.
“For now, I disagree that there should be a cap.”
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