Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has expressed her support for President John Dramani Mahama’s proposal for a constitutional review. In contrast to former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s assertion that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution is flawless and does not need any revisions, Akuffo believes that a review is necessary.
During an interview on Joy News on January 7, 2025, Akuffo emphasized the importance of approaching constitutional reforms with an open mind. She highlighted the need for a thorough examination of the current constitution to ensure that it remains relevant and effective in meeting the needs of Ghana’s evolving society.
“I’ve never agreed with the former president that the Constitution is so perfect that it doesn’t need to be reviewed. The Constitution, being a living document, has to be nursed, nurtured, tweaked, and massaged. From time to time, we must take a look to see whether it continues in every respect to suit current-day purposes.”
The former Chief Justice rejected the notion that amending the Constitution undermines its credibility.
“There is nothing wrong with reviewing or revising a constitution to make sure that every provision serves the purposes of the people. I am fully in agreement with President Mahama that there should be a review of the process started over a decade ago. Unfortunately, it came to, how would I say? An unceremonious pause.”
Sophia Akuffo pointed out that after more than three decades of using the current Constitution, certain provisions have proven inadequate or outdated.
“We need to acknowledge that there are certain parts that are not working the way we had anticipated,” she remarked. “There are ways it can be better.”
President Akufo-Addo has stated that no country has a perfect constitution. He said despite the shortfalls of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, calls for its review should be hastened slowly.
“Mr. Speaker, there is a subject that continues to attract a lot of public discussions, and that is the call by some for a review of the 1992 Constitution under which we have operated in this Fourth Republic for the past thirty-two (32) years. Mr. Speaker, there is no perfect Constitution anywhere in the world,” the outgoing President said on January 3 when he delivered his final State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament.
“…with all its shortcomings, I would say that this Constitution has served us well. It has provided the platform for the longest period of uninterrupted, stable, constitutional, democratic governance in our history. A constitution does not cure the irritations of the democratic process. There is no constitution that will satisfy the desires of those who do not believe in the democratic process.
“We should be guided by the old saying, festina lente, the Latin adage for hasten slowly.”
