Former Vice-President and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s 2028 presidential flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the recently passed Public Tribunals Bill, 2026, warning that the legislation could fundamentally reshape Ghana’s justice system without adequate national consensus.
In a public address, Dr. Bawumia urged the President to suspend the assent process and instead initiate broad consultations with key stakeholders, insisting that reforms affecting the country’s judicial architecture should be based on consensus rather than parliamentary numbers.
His appeal follows Parliament’s passage of the Public Tribunals Bill, 2026, after the House waived the mandatory one-day interval between the consideration stage and third reading to allow the legislation to be passed on the same day.
According to Dr. Bawumia, objections raised by the Minority in Parliament were voted down, while concerns expressed by organised labour were disregarded.
“I have one respectful request of President Mahama: Mr. President, do not assent to this bill. Pause, and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter,” he said.
The former Vice-President stressed that his appeal was not politically motivated but was intended to safeguard Ghana’s democratic institutions and preserve public confidence in the judiciary.
He cited the opposition of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which has publicly called for the withdrawal of the bill, arguing that the legislation, in its current form, could become “a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery.”
“Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party,” Dr. Bawumia noted.
He also questioned the timing of the bill’s passage, pointing out that President Mahama had previously established a Constitution Review Committee whose report, submitted last December, has yet to be made public.
Dr. Bawumia said the committee reportedly recommended the removal of regional tribunals from the Constitution on the grounds that the High Court has long assumed their responsibilities.
He argued that it was inappropriate for Parliament to legislate in the opposite direction before Ghanaians had the opportunity to study the committee’s recommendations.
“Mr. President, publish the report first,” he appealed.
Reflecting on Ghana’s political history, Dr. Bawumia cautioned against reviving a tribunal system that many citizens associate with past injustices.
He expressed concern that the proposed legislation would allow tribunal panels that include non-lawyers to adjudicate criminal cases, a development he believes could undermine confidence in the administration of justice.
“Ghanaians remember tribunals, and we remember what was done in their name,” he said.
While acknowledging that Ghana’s courts face challenges such as congestion and delays, Dr. Bawumia argued that the solution lies in strengthening the existing judicial system rather than creating what he described as a parallel structure.
“Our courts are congested, yes. But the answer to congested courts is to strengthen the courts—more judges, more courtrooms and digitised processes. It is not to build a second system of justice,” he stated.
The NPP flagbearer further reminded the President that although his administration enjoys one of the largest parliamentary majorities under the Fourth Republic, such numerical strength should be exercised with restraint.
“Not everything that can be passed should be passed. The larger the majority, the greater the duty of restraint,” he said.
According to him, history would ultimately judge legislation not by the number of votes it secured in Parliament but by whether it promoted justice, equity and the national interest.
Dr. Bawumia therefore called on President Mahama to withhold assent to the bill and instead convene a comprehensive national dialogue involving the Ghana Bar Association, other legal professional bodies, organised labour, civil society organisations, political parties and the Judiciary.
He proposed that the President use the Council of State, in accordance with Articles 90 and 106 of the 1992 Constitution, to facilitate nationwide consultations before any decision is taken.
“Justice belongs to no government and no party. It belongs to the Ghanaian people. A law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus, not on headcount,” he said.
He concluded by urging President Mahama to use the authority vested in him not to sign the bill into law immediately but to invite the nation into constructive dialogue on the future of Ghana’s justice system.
By 1960news.com
