President John Dramani Mahama is facing renewed political scrutiny over judicial appointments after nominating three additional justices to the Supreme Court, a move critics argue contradicts a key commitment contained in the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s 2024 election manifesto to cap the number of Supreme Court judges at 15.

The latest nominations—Court of Appeal Justices Bernasko-Essah and Amoako Asante, together with former Ghana Bar Association President Tony Forson—were announced on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in consultation with the Judicial Council and in accordance with Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution. If Parliament approves the nominees, the number of Supreme Court justices will increase from the current 18 to 21.

The appointments have reignited debate over judicial independence and consistency in political messaging, particularly because President Mahama, while in opposition, was one of the strongest critics of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s appointments to the apex court.

During the run-up to the 2024 general election, the NDC repeatedly accused the Akufo-Addo administration of excessively expanding the Supreme Court. President Mahama frequently referred to the court as “Unanimous FC,” suggesting that many of the judges consistently delivered judgments favourable to the government.

That criticism was later reflected in the NDC’s 2024 manifesto. On page 102, the party pledged to review judicial appointments and limit the size of the Supreme Court to a maximum of 15 justices, arguing that a leaner bench would strengthen public confidence in the judiciary and preserve its independence.

Political observers note that by the time former President Akufo-Addo left office in January 2025, the Supreme Court consisted of 14 sitting justices, many of whom had been appointed to replace judges who had retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.

However, within approximately eighteen months of assuming office, President Mahama has undertaken one of the largest waves of judicial appointments under the Fourth Republic.

Before the latest nominations, his administration had already appointed seven new Supreme Court justices, including Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

The addition of the three newly nominated judges would bring the total number of Supreme Court appointments made by President Mahama during his current administration to ten.

When combined with Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, whom President Mahama appointed during his previous administration in 2015, the President would have nominated or appointed 11 of the 21 members of the Supreme Court if the latest nominees receive parliamentary approval.

The development has prompted sections of the opposition to accuse the government of abandoning its earlier position on judicial expansion.

Critics argue that the NDC, which previously questioned the growing size of the Supreme Court under Akufo-Addo, is now presiding over an even larger apex court while simultaneously securing a numerical majority of judges appointed by President Mahama.

Beyond the Supreme Court, attention has also shifted to the broader scale of judicial appointments made by the current administration.

Available figures indicate that the Mahama administration has appointed approximately 121 judges across various levels of the judiciary within its first one-and-a-half years in office.

The appointments reportedly comprise 10 Supreme Court judges, 21 Court of Appeal judges, 37 High Court judges and 52 Circuit Court judges.