The nominees vetted are: His Lordship Justice Senyo Dzamefe, His Lordship Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, His Lordship Justice Philip Bright Mensah, His Lordship Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Her Ladyship Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo, Her Ladyship Justice Hafisata Ameleboba and His Lordship Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo.
Who Are the Supreme Court Nominees?
1. His Lordship Justice Senyo Dzamefe
Justice Senyo Dzamefe is the longest serving Justice of the second highest court in Ghana; the Court of Appeal. Called to the Ghana Bar in 1984, Justice Dzamefe began his legal career at the Attorney General’s Department in Ho. After National Service, he was posted to Bolgatanga and later joined the Public Tribunal in 1988. He served as Regional Chairman of the Tema and Wa Regional Tribunals before continuing his judicial service at the Circuit Tribunal in Koforidua, following the integration of the tribunals into the mainstream Judiciary in 1994.
Justice Senyo Dzamefe was appointed as a Justice of the High Court in 2000 and served in Sekondi and Swedru before being posted to the Fast Track High Court “4” in Accra in 2008. Two years later, in 2010, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal. Justice Dzamefe has held several leadership roles, including Vice President and later President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG). He has served as a member of the Judicial Council, chaired the Judiciary’s Disciplinary Committee, and sits on the Appointments Committee and the Rules of Court Committee.
2. His Lordship Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei
Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei is a distinguished Ghanaian jurist currently serving as a Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, making him the second Ghanaian to be appointed to the continental court. Domestically, he has been a Justice of the Court of Appeal since 2010, following a successful legal career as Founder and Managing Partner of Holy Trinity Chambers (1999-2010).
Alongside his judicial work, he has made significant academic contributions as a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Coast, and a Part-Time Associate Professor at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 2019 to 2020.
Throughout his career, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei has held numerous leadership positions, including Director of the Judicial Training School, serving as Supervising Judge in multiple regions, and chairing various judicial and legal reform committees. His academic credentials are extensive, with postgraduate degrees from Duke University School of Law, the University of London, among others.
3. His Lordship Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh
Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh was appointed as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in January 2015. He previously served as a Justice of the High Court from May 2004 to 2014 and as a Circuit Court Judge from 2000 to 2004.
His judicial career began with the Public Tribunal System where he served as the Chairman of the Regional Tribunal in the Northern Region, later overseeing the Brong Ahafo, Upper East, and Upper West Regions between 1985 and 1993. He was also the Chairman of the Community Tribunal in Obuasi from 1993 to 2000, with responsibilities for Huntado, Bekwai, and New Edubiase and later served as the Chairman of the Circuit Tribunal in Koforidua from 2000 to 2004.
Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh has held key leadership roles including President of the Court of Appeal for the Northern Sector from 2022 to 2024. He also served as Supervising High Court Judge in the Northern, Eastern, and Central Regions between 2009 and 2015. He is a faculty member of the Judicial Training Institute and currently serves on the Judicial Council, representing the Court of Appeal bench.
4. His Lordship Justice Phillip Bright Mensah
Justice Philip Bright Mensah is a Justice of the Court of Appeal, whose judicial journey reflects decades of experience and institutional knowledge, culminating in his nomination to the Supreme Court. Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Justice Philip Bright Mensah worked in various administrative capacities within the Judicial Service, beginning as a Court Recorder. He later became Registrar of the Sekondi High Court and subsequently served as Regional Administrative Officer for the then Western Region.
By dint of hard work, Justice Mensah got appointed to the bench as a Magistrate in 1998. He was later promoted to the Circuit Court in 2002 and subsequently to the High Court in 2006. His elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2019 came after years of dedicated service on the lower bench, from Magistracy through to the Superior Court bench.
Justice Phillip Bright Mensah holds a Diploma in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Ghana. He completed his professional legal training at the Ghana School of Law and was successfully called to the Bar. While serving as a High Court Judge, Justice Mensah combined his judicial duties with studies at the Law Faculty, University of Ghana, for the award of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Oil and Gas.
5. Her Ladyship Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo
Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal in December 2019, after serving as a High Court Judge from 2010 to 2019. She began her judicial career in 1997 as a Magistrate and rose to become a Circuit Court Judge in 2004. Prior to joining the Bench, she worked as a Legal Officer with the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Before pursuing a career in law, Justice Bartels-Kodwo worked with the Ghana Education Service as English and Literature teacher. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Information Technology and Commerce from the University of Southampton (UK), a Barrister-at-Law (BL) from the Ghana School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast.
Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo has contributed immensely to judicial reforms having served in several capacities on a number of Committees and currently serves as Co-Chair of the E-Justice Oversight Committee. She has mentored many law interns. With over two decades of experience on the bench, Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo is known for her integrity, fairness and sound legal reasoning.
6. Her Ladyship Justice Hafisata Amaleboba
Justice Hafisata Amaleboba is a Justice of the Court of Appeal, appointed in December 2022, after serving as a Justice of the High Court from August 2014. She was called to the Ghana Bar in 1998 and joined the bench with over 15 years experience as private legal practitioner, having co-founded and served as Managing Partner of the erstwhile Amal Law Consult, with specialty in commercial litigation consultancy and negotiations.
As a High Court Judge, she sat in courts in the General Jurisdiction, Land Division, and in the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Division (now Family Court), alongside additional responsibility of hearing Probate cases and Judicial Review Applications. On the appellate bench, she has sat in Kumasi, Accra, and currently serves on the Koforidua panel.
Justice Hafisata Amaleboba also serves as the Judicial Service’s representative/nominee to the Legal Service Board. (Office of the Attorney-General.) She was attached to the Complaints Unit of the Judicial Service from 2020 to 2023, and has chaired several disciplinary and administrative committees. She holds a Bachelor of laws Degree from the University of Ghana, from where she proceeded to the Ghana School of Law for her Professional Law Course. Justice Amaleboba is presently studying for a Masters of Law Degree in Data Protection and Intellectual Property.
7. His Lordship Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo
Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo is a Justice of the Court of Appeal, appointed in 2022 after serving as a High Court Judge from 2015 to 2022. His legal career spans multiple jurisdictions, having practiced as a Barrister and Solicitor in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ghana. His academic credentials include an Executive Master of Arts in Regional Integration and African Development from GIMPA, an LL.M. from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and professional legal qualifications from both the Ghana School of Law and the Law Society of Upper Canada.
In addition to his judicial duties, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo is a Part-Time Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, where he teaches courses such as Law of Evidence, Advocacy and Legal Ethics. He also serves as an Examiner for the General Legal Council and a Faculty Member and Trainer at the Judicial Training Institute in Accra. Throughout his career, he has actively contributed to judicial reforms, serving on key committees including the Chief Justice’s Committee on Paralegal Training Curriculum and the E-Judgment Committee.