Here are 10 key recommendations from the Constitutional Review Committee report

Ghana’s long-running debate over constitutional reform has entered a decisive new phase. The Constitutional Review Committee’s final report, presented to President John Dramani Mahama on December 22, 2025, proposes far-reaching reforms aimed at shifting the country from what it describes as an “electoral democracy” to a more results-driven “developmental democracy”.

The report is unequivocal in its central diagnosis: while elections in Ghana have become routine and largely peaceful, governance outcomes have not kept pace with citizens’ expectations. At the heart of the Committee’s work is the recognition that the 1992 Constitution, though foundational to Ghana’s democratic journey, now contains structural weaknesses that concentrate excessive power in the Executive, inflate the cost of politics, weaken accountability, and undermine long-term development planning.

Drawing on extensive nationwide consultations involving citizens, experts, political actors, traditional authorities and the youth, the Committee produced an expansive catalogue of reform proposals rather than a narrow set of headline fixes. The ten recommendations highlighted in this article represent only a selection of the most consequential and far-reaching proposals contained in the report and do not exhaust its scope.

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The Committee proposes extending the presidential and parliamentary term from four years to five years, while retaining the two-term limit. This is intended to provide governments with more time to implement policies effectively without opening the door to a third term.

The eligibility age for presidential candidates should be reduced from forty (40) to thirty (30) years through an amendment to Article 62(b), broadening participation and opening leadership to younger generations.

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The report recommends creating a new constitutional body to oversee decentralisation, including rationalising the creation of districts and managing a phased introduction of elections for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

The Council of State’s advisory and vetting role in presidential appointments should be enhanced to improve transparency and credibility, while maintaining the President’s final appointing authority.

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice should be divided into distinct bodies, with one focusing on human rights and ombudsman functions, and another dedicated to anti-corruption and ethics.

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The Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission should serve a single, non-renewable ten-year term or until age sixty-five (65), with revised removal procedures to strengthen independence and public confidence.

The Committee proposes a single ten-year term for the Chief Justice, alongside revised removal procedures involving a special tribunal, to enhance judicial independence.

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The Constitution should strengthen protections for rights relating to food, housing, health, education, digital privacy and bodily integrity, address discriminatory practices, including against Zongo communities, and consider the abolition of the death penalty.

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A dedicated independent anti-corruption body should be established, potentially easing the burden on the Attorney-General and allowing greater focus on major corruption cases.

The report recommends the phased introduction of elections for local chief executives, with political parties allowed to participate, to improve accountability and sharpen the development focus at the local level.