
A recent report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has highlighted a substantial 30% decline in the perceived impartiality of Ghana’s judiciary over the past six years.
The indicator used in the report evaluates judicial impartiality by assessing factors such as court independence, judicial autonomy, and the process of judicial appointments.
In 2014, public confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality was rated at 95.3 points. However, by 2023, this confidence has fallen to 68.3 points—a 27-point decline, reflecting growing concerns about judicial independence and fairness in Ghana.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation report reveals that the Akufo-Addo administration inherited a judicial impartiality score of 94.1 points in 2017. This score initially rose to 97 points but then experienced a sharp decline, dropping to 75 points in 2018 and continuing a downward trend to 68.3 by 2023.
The report further highlights a decline in public confidence regarding the judiciary’s commitment to due and fair process, with this measure decreasing from 66.6 in 2014 to 45.7 in 2023, suggesting a significant erosion in the perceived fairness of judicial proceedings.
This sub-indicator assesses the degree to which due legal process and the rights of the accused are maintained, using criteria such as “the presumption of innocence; the conditions and duration of arrests and pre-trial detention; the extent to which suspects are subject to torture and abusive treatment; the access to legal assistance; and the rights of prisoners.”
These findings emerge amid increasing public concern that the judiciary may be serving as a tool for the executive branch.
This perception has led some Ghanaians to label the judiciary with terms such as “Unanimous FC” and “We-Know-The-Outcome (WeKTO Centre),” reflecting the belief that the apex court’s decisions have become increasingly predictable.