Ghana: Withhold Assent to Tribunals Bill – Dr Bawumia Appeals to Pres Mahama
Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to the Tribunals Bill, 2026 to enable broad national consultations.
According to him, the proposed legislation could fundamentally alter Ghana’s justice delivery system and undermine public confidence in the judiciary if it becomes a law.
Addressing Ghanaians in live television broadcast yesterday, Dr Bawumia said his call was a non-partisan one aimed at safeguarding Ghana’s democratic and judicial institutions, stressing that “Mr President, do not sign this Bill. Pause, and let the nation talk,” he appealed, describing his intervention.”
He expressed concern over the manner in which the Bill was passed, stating that Parliament waived the mandatory one-day interval between the Consideration Stage and the Third Reading to facilitate its passage on the same day, despite objections from the Minority and organised labour.
Dr Bawumia who is also the Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) noted that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) had publicly called for the withdrawal of the Bill on the basis that in its current form, it could become “a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery.”
The former Vice President also questioned the government’s decision to proceed with the legislation before publishing the report of the Constitution Review Committee, which, he said, recommended the removal of Regional Tribunals from the 1992 Constitution because the High Court had long assumed their jurisdiction.
According to him, it was inappropriate for Parliament to legislate in the opposite direction before the public had the opportunity to examine the Committee’s recommendations.
Dr Bawumia argued that while Ghana’s courts faced challenges of congestion, the solution lay in strengthening the existing judicial system through the appointment of more judges, expansion of courtroom infrastructure, and accelerated digitisation of court processes, rather than establishing what he described as a parallel justice system.
He cautioned that provisions allowing persons who are not lawyers to sit on panels hearing criminal matters could revive painful memories associated with tribunals in Ghana’s history.
Dr Bawumia further reminded the government that its overwhelming parliamentary majority should be exercised with restraint, stressing that history would judge the quality of legislation rather than the numerical strength with which it was passed.
He therefore called on President Mahama to withhold assent to the Bill, publish the Constitution Review Committee’s report, and convene a national dialogue involving the Ghana Bar Association, other legal professional bodies, organised labour, civil society organisations, political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Judiciary.
Dr Bawumia maintained that justice belonged to the people of Ghana and that any legislation seeking to reshape the country’s judicial architecture should be founded on broad national consensus rather than parliamentary numbers alone.
He urged the President to use the constitutional processes available under Articles 90 and 106 of the 1992 Constitution to engage the Council of State and facilitate wider national consultations before any final decision is taken on the Bill.
By Ghanaian Times.
