President John Mahama of Ghana has nominated the immediate past President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Edward Asante, to the Ghanaian Supreme Court.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Asante’s office on Friday.
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It said Mr Asante, a judge of Ghana’s Court of Appeal, was nominated alongside his appeal court counterpart, Sophia Bernasko, and a former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Tony Forson.
The statement explained that the Ghanaian president made the appointments based on the advice of the National Judicial Council in consultation with the Council of State.
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”The nominees are vetted by the appointments committee of Ghana’s Parliament, whose recommendations are subject to the parliament’s approval.
”When approved by the legislature, this will increase the number of Ghana’s Supreme Court justices from 18 to 21, strengthening its capacity to hear constitutional, civil and criminal cases.
“Asante was the sixth President of the ECOWAS Court, and served three terms of two years each, amounting to cumulative six years from 2018 to 2024.”
It added that the Ghanaian legal icon had a distinguished judicial career.
According to the statement, in October 2025, he was appointed to the prestigious Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
”It is an 18-member think-tank, whose membership requires an understanding of human rights mechanisms; a proven track record of impartial decision-making and the diplomatic acumen to traverse intricate terrains,” the statement said.
”As ECOWAS Court President, Asante oversaw the expansion of the court’s jurisprudence through the delivery of groundbreaking rulings on civil and political rights anchored on continental and international instruments.
“During his tenure, the Community Court also developed the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS), which enables litigants to virtually file their briefs.”
It stated that the introduction of the ECMS also enabled the court to hold virtual sessions, which reduced costs for litigants and significantly improved access to and implementation of human rights instruments in the region.
”Asante also initiated the creation of a befitting website for the court, making it more dynamic in order to align with the technological developments.
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”In 2020, the court under Asante, who studied Law at the University of Ghana and the Ghana Law School, bagged the Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression Award.
”The prestigious award was created in 2015 by the New York-based University to recognise judicial decisions that strengthen Freedom of Expression worldwide.
”Asante has over 33 years of experience as a lawyer and judge, with expertise in many areas of law, including public international law, international human rights law, mediation, and arbitration.”
