Attorney-General Dominic Ayine Describes CJ Vetting Clash as “Highly Regrettable and a Waste of Time”
Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine - Photo credit Parliament House.
Accra, Ghana – Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine has described the heated exchanges between Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as “highly regrettable,” calling the confrontation “an unnecessary distraction” from an otherwise constitutional process.
Speaking on Metro News after the chaotic start to Monday’s public hearing, Dr. Ayine said the minority leader’s attempt to challenge the vetting was procedurally misplaced and disrespectful to the nominee.
“I think it’s highly regrettable because what the minority leader sought to do was to bring the motion that was dismissed by Mr. Speaker to the committee through the back door,” Ayine stated. “In substance, what he was trying to say was exactly what was contained in their motion and that was regrettable.”
The Attorney-General criticized the two-hour delay in beginning the vetting, which was caused by the minority caucus’s objections over whether the process should proceed while former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo’s legal challenge was still pending in court.
“You can imagine that we spent about two hours just on his preliminary comments,” Dr. Ayine said. “It doesn’t show respect to the nominee. We cannot bring the potential head of one of the branches of government to sit here and wait for us for two hours just to debate among ourselves whether or not his vetting should proceed.”
He emphasized that the incident was not merely a political disagreement, but an issue of institutional respect.
“Look, there are three branches of government. We cannot bring the potential head of one of the branches of government to sit here and wait for us while we engage in partisan back-and-forth. It was simply uncalled for,” he added.
The Attorney-General also made it clear that the majority side of Parliament has every intention of continuing with the vetting and confirmation process, even if the minority caucus decides to walk out.
“Whatever happens, the affirmation will be done,” he stated confidently. “The acting Chief Justice will be confirmed. We are not abusing our majority we are simply asserting our right to confirm the nominee put forward by His Excellency, the President.”
According to Dr. Ayine, a quorum had already been formed at the time of the confrontation, making it constitutionally valid for the process to continue even if the minority exited the chamber.
“Once a quorum has been formed, that quorum continues till the end,” he explained. “Even the majority side alone has the quorum to conduct the business of the House. If the minority chooses to walk out, we will continue to its logical conclusion.
The standoff between Mahama Ayariga and Afenyo-Markin erupted during the Appointments Committee’s vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to replace Justice Torkornoo.
The minority argued that the vetting should be suspended pending the outcome of the former Chief Justice’s constitutional case, which challenges the process leading to her removal.
However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga insisted that Parliament was acting within its constitutional mandate under Article 144(1) and Standing Order 204, which empower the House to proceed with nominations referred to it by the Speaker.
Ayine’s remarks reinforce the government’s stance that the legislature’s constitutional independence allows it to proceed regardless of ongoing litigation.
In closing, the Attorney-General urged both sides of the House to conduct themselves with restraint and decorum when handling issues that affect the independence of the judiciary.
“We have to show respect to all three arms of government,” Dr. Ayine concluded. “The vetting of a Chief Justice is a solemn process, not a political contest.”
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