Supreme Court Nominee Ackaah-Boafo Defends Judicial Retirement Age of 70
Accra, June 20, 2025 — Supreme Court nominee Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo has voiced firm support for maintaining Ghana’s current judicial retirement age of 70, arguing that the demanding nature of judicial work requires judges to step back at a reasonable age to protect their health and well-being.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, June 20, Justice Ackaah-Boafo described the judiciary as a mentally taxing profession that often leads to early physical decline if not managed with rest and recovery.
“The work of a judge is a stressful one. You burn the midnight oil; you sit up and write judgments,” he stated. “Many judges retire at 70 and within a short time, they pass on. That’s the reality.”
Health, Balance, and Global Comparisons
Although some countries have judicial retirement ages as high as 75, Ackaah-Boafo pointed out that such systems typically include flexible work arrangements for aging judges, such as “supernumerary” roles with reduced responsibilities.
“In other jurisdictions, once you hit 70, you may be assigned fewer tasks or allowed to pick your cases,” he explained. “But in Ghana, our system doesn’t yet support such a structure.”
This makes it even more important, he argued, to uphold the age-70 threshold in Ghana’s judiciary to promote a balanced and humane career cycle for judges.
“70 Is Good Enough”
Justice Ackaah-Boafo concluded by urging Parliament and the judiciary not to pursue any upward review of the retirement age.
“I think the 70 is good enough. Let’s stick to it, so that when we retire, we can have time to spend with family,” he said, drawing nods from several committee members.
His position aligns with broader public sentiment in Ghana, where concerns about judicial fatigue, case backlogs, and the need for generational renewal continue to spark debate about the structure and sustainability of the judiciary.
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