By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
One of the seven justices nominated by President John Dramani Mahama to serve on Ghana’s Apex court, the Supreme Court (SC), Justice Philip Bright Mensah says the country’s jury system is outdated.
According to him, there should be a complete overhaul, while new assessors are also needed to strengthen that outfit.
Answering questions posed by Parliament’s Appointment Committee during his vetting today, June 17, 2025, Justice Bright Mensah argued that Ghana’s current jury system, inherited from British colonial rule, no longer serves its intended purpose.
“Our jury system needs reform. We inherited this system from the British. As I speak, most of the Commonwealth countries like India, Singapore, and even South Africa have abolished that system. Why? Because it is not functional,” he reiterated.
Justice Bright Mensah further emphasised that Ghana’s experience with the jury system has revealed significant challenges, including delays in trials and issues with juror competence and reliability.
“Our experience in our system has shown that the jury system has outlived its usefulness. I will advocate that instead of the jury system, there must be assessors,” he said.
The SC nominee explained that under an assessor system, cases would be heard by a panel of three judges, all with legal training and experience.
According to him, the assessor system would improve the quality of judicial decisions and reduce undue influence or inconsistencies often associated with jury verdicts.
“With the assessors’ system, the judges who will sit on the case are three; there will be judges who have been lawyers,” he added.
