Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo
A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo, has called on the nation to protect young girls from abuses, including child marriage and witchcraft accusations.
According to him, education and legal reforms are needed in protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly girls.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Justice Ackaah-Boafo stated that, “The girl child should have the opportunity to be educated and develop her talent…”
He said putting a child into a marriage against their wishes is certainly a “no-no” for him.
He added, “I do not believe that children should be put in marriage at a tender age. Every child should have the opportunity to develop their talents, and if there is a need for us to regulate that through law, I am all for it. But I think many of these things come with education rather than just law.”
Justice Ackaah-Boafo said it is important to give every girl child the opportunity to pursue education and realise her full potential, describing forced child marriages as “completely unacceptable.”
Turning to the issue of witchcraft accusations, the nominee questioned why such practices persist in contemporary society.
“But why are we in a globalised society, and should we be talking about witchcraft?” he asked.
“I think that these are nuances that we may have to address. We accuse people of being witches, and you have to find out what the standard of such determination is,” he asserted.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo made these remarks during his vetting by the Appointments Committee as part of the process for his nomination to the Supreme Court.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House