Justice Philip Bright Mensah's Vetting: A Tense Exchange Between Judge and Appointments Committee Member

During a tense exchange at the vetting of Supreme Court nominees on June 17, 2025, Justice Philip Bright Mensah and Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament for Effutu and Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, engaged in a heated discussion over a court ruling. The exchange centered around a case in which Afenyo-Markin's appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal and later by the Supreme Court.

Key Takeaways:

• Justice Philip Bright Mensah took a subtle swipe at Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, during his vetting on June 17, 2025.
• Afenyo-Markin questioned Justice Bright Mensah over a ruling he delivered at the Court of Appeal, which dismissed one of Afenyo-Markan's appeals, arguing that his client's human rights had been violated.
• The Minority Leader described the dismissals at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court as overly harsh, citing a missed opportunity for the judiciary to have exercised judicial leadership to protect fundamental human rights.
• Justice Bright Mensah expressed satisfaction that his decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court and explained that judges do justice according to the law, rather than based on emotions.
• The judge emphasized that the court in question was not a human rights court and that the appeal raised legal issues rather than human rights concerns.
• The exchange highlights the tension between the judge and the Appointments Committee member during the vetting process.

Statistics:

• The vetting of Supreme Court nominees took place on June 17, 2025.
• Justice Philip Bright Mensah was one of the seven Supreme Court nominees vetted on this day.
• Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, questioned Justice Bright Mensah over a court ruling.

Sources:

• Ghana Web, June 17, 2025.