Justice Avril Lovelace Johnson who has been nominated to the Supreme Court bench says the death penalty in Ghana's criminal justice system is "very terrible."
According to her, the judiciary is made up of human beings who can make mistakes. "Death is the end of everything, what if we make a mistake and the person is already dead," she questioned.
Justice Avril Lovelace Johnson together with two other justices Mariama Owusu and Gertrude Torkornoo, all of whom are female justices of the Court of Appeal, have been nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the Supreme Court, subject to approval by Parliament.
Appearing before the Appointment Committee of Parliament on Monday [December 9, 2019], and answering a question on her view of the death penalty, Justice Lovelace Johnson said for her, her basic objection to the death penalty was the fact that judges are humans and can make mistakes.
"That is basic, that is where I start from apart from the fact that the death penalty might infringe the right of someone or so, the possibility that judges can make a mistake, the person is killed only to find later that there was a mistake. For that reason alone, I'm anti the death penalty," she stressed.
Adding, Justice Lovelace Johnson said in 2002 whilst as a High Court judge and she was slated to sit on the assizes had to sentence someone to death, "those things we did it through a whole ceremony. They put a black cloth on your head, the court clerk will sit and say... and make some pronouncements about you being hanged by the neck until you die, and that your body will be buried at a place at the pleasure of the president, I was shaking like a leaf, when I imposed the sentence. I didn't sleep for about a month. With that in mind, the judiciary is made up of human beings, we can make mistakes, death is the end of everything, so what if we make a mistake and the person is already dead. For me that is the basic, that is where I start from apart from the fact that the death penalty might infringe a right of a someone or so, the possibility that judges can make a mistake and the person is killed only to find later that there was a mistake, for that reason alone, I'm anti the death penalty.
Article 144 (2) of the 1992 Constitution states that the President consults with the Council of State by submitting the names and curriculum vitae of nominees for appointment to the Supreme Court.
After the completion of consultations with the Council of State, in accordance with Article 144 (2), the President then has to seek the approval of Parliament for the appointment of the nominees as justices of the Supreme Court.
The last Supreme Court appointments were made in July 2018. They involved four justices, namely, Justice Samuel K. Marful-Sau, Justice Agnes M. A. Dordzie, Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey and Nene A. O. Amegatcher.
The current three new nominations are to replace three female justices of the Supreme Court, two of whom had retired, with one due for retirement by the end of December 2019. They are the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo, who retires on December 20, 2019, and Justices Vida Akoto-Bamfo and Sophia Adinyira, who have both retired.
Source: graphic.com.gh
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Refreshing thoughts by the justice. Her opinions on the bench are sound and sacrosanct. Her career at the bench has been stellar and she deserves to be promoted to the Supreme Court of Ghana
Her response on Atuguba's study on the judiciary was rather appalling. First of all has she read the document? If she has read, does she agree with the methodology used by Atuguba, yes or no; If she does not agree what are the assumptions of the methodology she disagrees with? Before she can ate her point. Simply saying because she has been a judge for many years and so does not agree with a study is baseless. Only serial callers will agree with her. Akwaabaa
The death penalty should be retained! Justice Lovelace Johnson questions "what if we make a mistake..." My response to this political correctness question is: What if we don't make a mistake? The Bible accurately supports the death penalty... He who draws the sword also dies by the sword!, to paraphrase the King of kings and Lord of lords! Nothing wrong with that...Thank you!
The basic thing for you to do is get the facts of the case correctly. it is not as if one when is sentence to d!eath! as soon as he/she is caught. the process takes a while. Also when the sentence is passed it is not carried out immediately. so please come again on this one. the deterrent outweighs the cons. Armed robbers, terrorist, hard-core pimps should stay in jail for life and give nightmares to victims? Naaaa Please come again wai
See this one too. Nothing good will come out of her. Wait for criminals to visit you and your entire family. The death is not going anywhere. Kill and be killed that's all. Including the corrupt officialso and their cronies
THIS JUSTICE SHOULD BE APPROVED BY PARLIMENT EVEN BEFORE HER VETTING. HER VIEWS ON THE DEATH PENALTY SUPERB! IT SHOULD BE ABOLISHED IN GHANA.
Very good start ... Approved