President John Dramani Mahama has assented to 10 Bills, including the Tribunals Act passed by Parliament during the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.
Mahama’s assent to the bill gives it legal effect to a series of legislative reforms covering taxation, revenue mobilisation, justice administration, national defence, maritime regulation and the cocoa sector.
The ten bills assented to formally transform them into laws and clear the way for the relevant institutions and agencies to begin implementing the provisions contained in the new legislation.
The newly enacted laws are as follows, “Customs Act, 2026; Community Service Act, 2026; Tribunals Act, 2026; Maritime and Related Offences Act, 2026; National Defence University, Ghana Act, 2026; Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2026; Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2026; Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 2026; Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2026; and Excise Act, 2026”.
The ten new laws cover a broad range of sectors and are expected to have implications for government revenue, taxation, trade, justice delivery, national security and the regulation of key economic activities.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), had earlier made a direct appeal to President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill by Parliament.
According to Dr Bawumia, the legislation with such far-reaching consequences should first be subjected to extensive national consultation.
Dr Bawumia stressed that the Tribunal Bill should not become law until key stakeholders have had the opportunity to deliberate on its implications, adding that reforms affecting Ghana’s justice system should be built on broad public consensus rather than a parliamentary majority.
The NPP flagbearer highlighted that the judiciary remains one of the country’s most important democratic institutions, noting that any changes to its structure should be approached with transparency, inclusiveness and careful consideration.
Dr Bawumia further urged him to delay assent and instead open the door for nationwide dialogue.
Speaking to the nation on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the former vice president stated, “The bill will soon be transmitted to the president for his assent, and I have one respectful request of President Mahama. Mr President, do not assent to this bill. Pause and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter.
“This is not a partisan request. The Trades Union Congress and the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers have called for the bill to be withdrawn, warning that in its current form, it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery.
“Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party. Consider also the government’s own process. The president established the Constitution Review Committee, and it recommended removing regional tribunals from the constitution because the High Court has long carried their case loads.”
“My call is simple and constructive: withhold your assent. Convene genuine national engagement. Invite the Ghana Bar Association and other lawyer groups, Organised Labour, CSOs and the political parties, including my own, and we will come in good faith and consult the judiciary itself.
“Justice belongs to no government and no party; it belongs to the Ghanaian people, and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus and not a headcount”.
“Mr President, the pen is in your hand; use it not to assent to this bill but to write an invitation to the nation.”
@ghnow_ Mustapha Salam in high spirits after filing his normination forms to contest for the NPP National Youth Organizer #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP delegate breaks down in tears as he narate how Mustapha Salam helped him during his arrest #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
