Supreme Court Judge nominee, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, has called for a broader and more inclusive jury system to enhance Ghana’s criminal justice process.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, June 20, 2025, Justice Ackaah-Boafo described Ghana’s jury system as a fundamentally sound mechanism that reflects the principle of being judged by one’s peers.
However, he said the current scope of jury selection—mostly limited to public servants—was too narrow and required reform.
“Recently there was a provision with regard to juries. Let me say that our jury system is a good system. The idea is that your peers listen to your case and rule on it,” he noted.
He proposed that eligibility for jury duty be expanded to include all Ghanaian citizens above the age of 21, including private individuals, through a framework that could be anchored at the district assembly level.
“Rather than limiting it to public servants, can we have a system where every Ghanaian above 21 years can be nominated to serve as a juror at the district assembly? When the pool is enlarged, you’ll have many people willing to serve, and it’s one way of enriching the system,” he explained.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo emphasised that a more diverse jury pool could also help accelerate the pace of criminal trials, reducing delays that currently plague the justice system.
“We must have a system where criminal matters are something we can complete timeously. We shouldn’t be trying cases from 2022 in 2025,” he stressed, adding that day-to-day trials could become more feasible with a larger, more accessible jury pool.
Petition against Justice Ackaah-Boafo baseless in law, unfounded- Ahiafor
