Former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has urged President John Dramani Mahama to suspend his assent to the recently passed Public Tribunals Bill, 2026, and allow for broad stakeholder consultations before any final decision is taken.
In a live Facebook address on Sunday, July 19, 2026, Dr Bawumia said the legislation has far-reaching implications for Ghana’s justice delivery system, judicial independence and democratic governance, noting that such a fundamental reform should rest on national consensus rather than a parliamentary majority.
“I have one respectful request of President Mahama. Mr President, do not sign this Bill. Pause, and let the nation talk,” he appealed.
He noted that the Bill was rushed through Parliament last week after the mandatory one-day interval between the consideration stage and third reading was waived, despite objections from the Minority and organised labour.
The Trades Union Congress, he noted, had called for the Bill’s withdrawal.
“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 The Trades Union Congress, the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers, has called for the Bill to be withdrawn altogether, warning that in its current form it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery. Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party,” Dr Bawumia said.
Dr Bawumia also questioned why Parliament proceeded with the legislation before publishing the report of the Constitution Review Committee.
“The President established the Constitution Review Committee, and it reported last December. This committee recommended removing Regional Tribunals from the Constitution because the High Court has long carried their caseload. Yet the report has not been published. Before the nation has even read it, Parliament has rushed through and legislated in the opposite direction. Mr President, publish the report first.”
On the Bill’s substance, he raised concerns that allowing non-lawyers to sit on tribunal panels adjudicating criminal matters could revive memories of past tribunal abuses, arguing that congested courts should be addressed by strengthening the existing court system rather than creating a parallel one.
He proposed that President Mahama withhold assent and instead invoke the constitutional consultative process through the Council of State, under Articles 90 and 106 of the 1992 Constitution, involving the Ghana Bar Association, organised labour, civil society organisations, political parties and the Judiciary.