PRESS RELEASE –
Justice Edward Amoako Asante, the immediate-past President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice (ECCJ), has been nominated to Ghana’s Supreme Court. He completed three terms of six years as President of the ECCJ in October 2024.
A judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Asante, and his colleague, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko, were among the three nominees to the apex court by President John Dramani Mahama.
Tony Forson, the only nominee from the private legal practice, is a former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), with many years in the legal profession.
Under Ghana’s constitution, the President appoints Supreme Court justices on the advice of the Judicial Council and in consultation with the Council of State. The nominees are then vetted for approval by the Committee of Parliament.
The approval of the latest nominations will increase the number of justices of Ghana’s Supreme Court from 18 to 21, thereby strengthening its capacity to handle constitutional, civil and criminal cases.
Justice Asante brings to his new role a wealth of judicial experience and accomplishments. In October 2025, he was appointed to the prestigious Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council, an 18-member think-tank, whose membership requires an “understanding of human rights mechanisms; a proven track record of impartial decision-making and diplomatic acumen to traverse intricate terrains.”
Justice Asante’s presidency of the ECOWAS Court oversaw the expansion of its jurisprudence through the delivery of ground-breaking rulings on civil and political rights anchored on continental and international instruments.
In 2020, he received on behalf of the Court the Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression Award, which was created in 2015 by the New York-based University to recognise judicial decisions that strengthen Freedom of Expression worldwide.
Under his presidency, the ECCJ also developed the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), which enables litigants to file briefs virtually and empowers the court to hold virtual sessions to reduce costs for litigants and significantly improves access and the implementation of human rights instruments in the region.
Justice Asante values strategic communication and was instrumental in revolutionising the court’s website, making it more dynamic and compliant with technological advancements.
