Justice
Ernest Gaewu
Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana
Assumed office
5 April 2023
Nominated byNana Akufo-Addo
High Court Judge
In office
16 September 2020 – 05 April 2023
Nominated byNana Akufo-Addo
Personal details
Born (1969-02-18) February 18, 1969
Ghana
Education
Alma mater
ProfessionJudge

Ernest Yao Gaewu (born on 18 February 1969) is a Ghanaian lawyer and judge who is in active service at the Supreme Court of Ghana.

Early life and education

Gaewu was born in Ho, but hails from Abotia in the Ho West District of the Volta Region. He attended Awudome Senior High School for his Ordinary Level education and Mawuli School for his Advanced Level education. He then proceeded to the University of Ghana in 1995 to study law. After completing his law degree, he attended the Ghana School of Law and was called to the bar in 2000.[1]

Career

After completing his legal education, Gaewu worked at Mawulorm Chambers in the Volta Region under the leadership of Justice Jones Dotse. In 2009, he became the head of the chamber. From 2012 to 2015, he served as the assistant secretary and then secretary of the Volta Bar, as well as a member of the National Council of the Ghana Bar Association. He was also the Bar's representative at the Volta Prison Council and served for two terms.[1][2] Gaewu has served on various boards and committees, including the Disciplinary Committee of Volta GFA, the Ho Teaching Hospital Board, the Ho Polytechnic Entity Committee, and the Entity Committee of the University of Health and Allied Sciences. He was also a government appointee of the Ho Municipal Assembly from 2002 to 2004.[1][2] After working in private practice for about two decades, Gaewu was appointed justice of the High Court.[2][3][4]

Prior to his legal practice, Gaewu worked as the managing director of Kwagame Ghana Ltd, a family business, from 1987 to 1995.

Political career

Whilst in private practice, he was active in partisan politics from 2009 to 2016, serving as a constituency chairman and parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party in the Ho West and Ho Central Constituencies.[1][2][5][6] He resigned on 16 September 2020[7] which was the same day he was appointed as a High Court Judge.[8]

Supreme Court Appointment

Nomination

Gaewu was nominated (together with George Kingsley Koomson, Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu and Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu) for the Supreme Court bench by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 4 July 2022 based on the advice of the Judicial Council and in consultation with the Council of State.[9][10] The president said in a statement to parliament that; "he is fully satisfied that each person is fully qualified, and eminently fit to discharge the functions of justice of the apex court".[11] On 25 July 2022, the speaker of parliament announced the nominations in parliament and referred them to the appointments committee for consideration.[11][12][13]

Vetting

Gaewu was vetted on 19 October 2022 by the vetting committee.[14][15] However, the caucus argued that Justice Gaewu's previous involvement in partisan politics made him unfit to serve on the Supreme Court's bench. The minority expressed their concerns about the appointment and suggested that other competent and qualified justices could have been elevated instead. Following the vetting, his appointment was made on 24 March 2023 after a vote in confidence by the Parliament and the adoption of the consensual report. Gaewu received 138 "Yes" votes and 134 "No" votes during the approval process.[14][16][17][18]

Sworn-in

Gaewu was sworn into office as justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana together with George Kingsley Koomson on 5 April 2023 by President Nana Akufo Addo.[19][20][21] He became the first judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court directly from the High Court since J. N. K. Taylor in 1980.

Personal life

Gaewu is a Christian and is married with three children.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Livestreamed: Vetting of Supreme Court Justice Designate Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, retrieved 2023-04-05
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Renowned Ho-based Lawyer Appointed High Court Judge". DailyGuide Network. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  3. ↑ "Appointments Committee recommends approval of Justices Koomson, Gaewu to Supreme Court". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  4. ↑ Online, Peace FM. "Parliament Approves Justices Gaewu, Koomson For Supreme Court". Peacefmonline - Ghana news. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  5. ↑ Ghana (2012). Ghana Gazette. Government Printer.
  6. ↑ Elections 2016. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Ghana. 2018.
  7. ↑ Agyemang; Kenu, Nana Konadu; Daniel (20 October 2022). "I'm no longer NPP member — Justice Gaewu". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "How Haruna Iddrisu drilled Akufo-Addo's nominee over his jump from High Court to Supreme Court". GhanaWeb. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  9. ↑ "Akufo-Addo nominates 4 judges to Supreme Court - MyJoyOnline". Myjoyonline. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  10. ↑ Asare, Wilberforce (2023-03-24). "Parliament approves Justices Gaewu, Koomson for Supreme Court". Asaase Radio. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  11. 1 2 "NPP man appointed as Supreme Court Justice". GhanaWeb. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  12. ↑ "President nominates 4 to Supreme Court". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  13. ↑ "Four Supreme Court nominees to face Appointments Committee today". GhanaWeb. 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  14. 1 2 Johnson, Reymond Awusei (2023-03-25). "Justices George Koomson and Ernest Gaewu approved by parliament as Supreme Court judges". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  15. ↑ "How Haruna Iddrisu drilled Akufo-Addo's nominee over his jump from High Court to Supreme Court". GhanaWeb. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  16. ↑ GNA (2023-03-25). "Parliament approves Koomson, Gaewu as Supreme Court justices". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  17. ↑ "Parliament approves Justices George Koomson and Ernest Gaewu as Supreme Court judges". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  18. ↑ emmakd (2023-03-25). "Parliament approves Koomson, Gaewu as Supreme Court justices". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  19. ↑ "Akufo-Addo inducts two new Supreme Court judges into office". Modern Ghana. 5 April 2023.
  20. ↑ Cudjoe, Emmanuel. "President swears in Justices Koomson and Gaewu to the Supreme Court". Judiciary Of Ghana. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  21. ↑ "Akufo-Addo inducts into office two new Supreme Court judges". GhanaWeb. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
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