Do not assent to Tribunals Bill, hold national dialogue - Bawumia tells President Mahama

The flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to refrain from assenting to the recently passed Tribunals Bill.

Speaking during a live national address on Sunday, July 19, the former Vice President argued that a piece of legislation with such far-reaching implications for Ghana’s judicial architecture must not be rushed into law without broad national consultations.

Dr. Bawumia expressed deep concern over the swift passage of the bill by Parliament, stating that structural reforms altering the framework of justice delivery should be shaped by national consensus rather than relying solely on a parliamentary headcount. He urged the President to suspend the assent process to pave the way for a comprehensive dialogue with key stakeholders, including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), civil society organisations (CSOs), political parties, and the judiciary itself.

"The bill will soon be transmitted to the president for his assent, and I have one respectful request of President Mahama," Dr. Bawumia stated. "Mr. President, do not assent to this bill. Pause and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter. The pen is in your hand; use it not to assent to this bill but write an invitation to the nation."

Emphasizing that his plea transcended partisan politics, the NPP flagbearer pointed to the widespread resistance the bill has faced from the working class. He noted that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Organised Labour have aggressively called for the bill's immediate withdrawal, warning that in its current form, it could easily become a "potent tool for weaponising justice delivery."

Dr. Bawumia also urged President Mahama to carefully reflect on the country's historical antecedents regarding public tribunals, drawing attention to a highly controversial provision in the new text.

"Under this bill, panels that include persons who are not lawyers may sit in judgement over criminal matters. Ghanaians remember tribunals and we remember what was done in their names," he cautioned, reminding citizens of past judicial excesses.

Furthermore, he cited the government's own institutional history, pointing out that the state's previous Constitution Review Committee explicitly recommended removing regional tribunals from the constitution because the High Court has long carried their workloads efficiently.

While acknowledging that Ghana’s court system faces genuine, systemic challenges, including severe case backlogs and long delays in the administration of justice, Dr. Bawumia maintained that creating an alternative judicial framework is the wrong solution. He argued that instead of building parallel structures that spark intense public anxiety, state reforms should focus entirely on upgrading existing infrastructure.

“Our courts are congested but the answer to congested courts is to strengthen the courts—more judges, more courtrooms, and digitised processes,” Bawumia asserted. “It is not to build a second system of justice. Justice belongs to no government and no party; it belongs to the Ghanaian people.”