Bawumia urges Pres. Mahama not to assent to Tribunals Bill, calls for national dialogue

Josephine Amuzu 19:10 - 19 July 2026

Add Pulse as a preferred source on Google

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and President John Mahama

Former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has appealed to President John Mahama not to sign the Tribunals Bill, 2026, urging broader consultation over concerns about Ghana’s justice system.

Former Vice-President and 2028 New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to withhold his assent to the Tribunals Bill, 2026, calling for broader national consultation before any decision is taken.

In a statement issued on July 19, 2026, Dr Bawumia argued that the legislation could have far-reaching implications for Ghana’s justice delivery system, public confidence in the judiciary and the country’s democratic development.

Parliament recently passed the Tribunals Bill, 2026, after the mandatory one-day interval between the consideration stage and the third reading was waived to allow for its passage on the same day. The Minority’s objections were rejected during the process.

Dr Bawumia said President Mahama should allow more time for public discussion before signing the Bill into law.

I have one respectful request of President Mahama. Mr President - Do not sign this Bill. Pause, and let the nation talk.

He stressed that his concerns were not politically motivated, pointing to objections raised by organised labour, including the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which has called for the withdrawal of the Bill.

This is not a partisan request. The Trades Union Congress, the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers, has called for the Bill to be withdrawn altogether, warning that in its current form it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery.

The former Vice-President also questioned why Parliament moved ahead with the legislation before the publication of the report of the Constitution Review Committee established by President Mahama.

According to him, the committee recommended the removal of Regional Tribunals from the Constitution because their functions had largely been taken over by the High Court.

Dr Bawumia further raised concerns about the composition of tribunal panels under the proposed law, arguing that allowing non-lawyers to participate in deciding criminal matters could revive concerns associated with past tribunal systems.

Ghanaians remember tribunals, and we remember what was done in their name.

He argued that the challenges facing Ghana’s justice system, particularly court congestion, should be addressed by strengthening existing courts rather than creating 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 beside the one the Constitution already gives us.

Dr Bawumia also urged the President to exercise restraint despite his government’s large parliamentary majority, noting that the ability to pass legislation should be matched with responsibility.

Not everything that can be passed should be passed. The larger the majority, the greater the duty of restraint.

He called on President Mahama to initiate consultations involving key stakeholders, including the Ghana Bar Association, legal practitioners, organised labour, civil society groups, political parties and the Judiciary.

Justice belongs to no government and no party. It belongs to the Ghanaian people, and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus, not on a headcount.

Dr Bawumia concluded by urging the President to use his authority to encourage dialogue rather than immediately approve the Bill.

Mr President, the pen is in your hand. Use it, not to sign this Bill, but to write an invitation to the nation through the Council of State in accordance with Articles 90 and 106 of the 1992 Constitution.

The Tribunals Bill, 2026, is expected to be transmitted to President Mahama for his consideration and assent.

Update Me