President John Dramani Mahama faces a major dilemma over who should lead Ghana’s Judiciary next, as Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie approaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in less than two months.
With Justice Baffoe-Bonnie due to retire on December 26, 2026, the President will soon have to make a critical choice from among several experienced Supreme Court justices being mentioned as potential successors. The decision will shape the leadership of the Judiciary and place Mahama at the centre of an important judicial appointment.
The challenge is compounded by the growing list of possible contenders, with no indication yet of who has emerged as the frontrunner or whether the President has settled on a preferred candidate.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s exit will come barely 13 months after he was sworn into office on November 17, 2025, making his tenure one of the shortest served by a substantive Chief Justice in Ghana’s recent history. Upon retirement, he is expected to transition to the Council of State in his capacity as a former Chief Justice.
Several Supreme Court justices are being discussed as possible replacements. They include Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, Professor Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu, Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, George Kingsley Koomson, Ernest Yao Gaewu, Henry Anthony Kwofie, Yaw Darko Asare, Richard Adjei-Frimpong, Sophia Rosetta Oduokunwa Bernasco-Essah, Edward Amoako Asante and Anthony Forson Jr.
Others are Justices Senyo Dzamefe, a former President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo and Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei.
However, seven names have featured prominently in the emerging succession debate: Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi, Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, Senyo Dzamefe and Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei.
President Mahama has not publicly announced a shortlist or disclosed his preferred choice, leaving the succession question open as the retirement date approaches.
With Baffoe-Bonnie’s retirement drawing closer, the focus is now on which of these experienced judicial figures could emerge as his successor and whom President Mahama will ultimately nominate to occupy Ghana’s highest judicial office.
Meanwhile, Ghnow had earlier examined six Supreme Court justices whose professional experience and leadership records could inform the choice of Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
See the list below:
Justice Gabriel Pwamang
Justice Gabriel Pwamang, appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2015, is among the court’s longest-serving members.
Before his appointment, he practised law and managed Pwamang and Associates, with professional interests spanning land and natural resources law, human rights and criminal justice. He also served on the Constitution Review Commission between 2010 and 2011.
His lengthy service at the apex court, combined with experience in private practice and constitutional review, provides a background relevant to discussions about continuity and institutional stability.
Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson
Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson has served at several levels of Ghana’s judicial system. Her career began in 1990, followed by appointments as a High Court justice in 2002, a Court of Appeal justice in 2012 and a Supreme Court justice in December 2019.
She has also undertaken judicial work in The Gambia and represents Supreme Court justices on the Judicial Council.
Her experience across different courts and participation in judicial governance provide insight into the challenges facing judges, court personnel and litigants.
Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi
Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi joined the Supreme Court in 2020 after a career in private legal practice.
Called to the Bar in 1994, he founded and led Kulendi @ Law, developing experience in commercial and constitutional law. He holds a law degree from the University of Ghana and a master’s degree in International Security and Civil-Military Relations from the Naval Postgraduate School in the United States.
His transition from private practice to the apex court offers a different professional perspective from that of judges who advanced through the lower courts.
Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu
Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu joined the bench in 1996 and progressed through the magistracy, Circuit Court, High Court and Court of Appeal before reaching the Supreme Court on December 28, 2022.
His judicial career, alongside experience in legal education, spans approximately three decades.
That progression has exposed him to the practical workings of multiple levels of the justice system, experience that could inform decisions concerning judicial administration and access to justice.
Justice Senyo Dzamefe
Justice Senyo Dzamefe joined the Supreme Court in July 2025 after serving at the High Court and Court of Appeal. Called to the Bar in 1984, he became a High Court justice in 2000 and joined the Court of Appeal in 2010.
He has served as president of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana and participated in judicial governance.
During his parliamentary vetting in June 2025, he advocated virtual hearings, improved working conditions for judicial staff and technology to reduce handwritten proceedings. These proposals offer insight into his approach to improving court efficiency.
Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei
Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei joined the Supreme Court in July 2025 after serving on the Court of Appeal since 2010.
His experience includes election to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2022, participation in the International Criminal Court’s judicial nominations advisory process, and leadership of the Judicial Training Institute from 2014 to 2022.
He also served as Dean of GIMPA’s Faculty of Law and has published works on constitutional law, criminal procedure, statutory interpretation and alternative dispute resolution.
The six justices bring varied experience in judicial service, legal scholarship, institutional administration and court reform.
However, reports detailed that the choice of Ghana’s next Chief Justice will depend on more than seniority or professional accomplishments; it will also involve the leadership needed to safeguard judicial independence, improve court efficiency and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
Under Articles 125(4) and 144(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Chief Justice leads the Judiciary, while the appointment process rests with the President in consultation with the Council of State and subject to parliamentary approval.
Ultimately, President Mahama’s nomination and Parliament’s decision will determine who succeeds Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, as seniority alone does not guarantee the position.
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