Legal scholar and social commentator Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has dismissed claims that the Chief Justice selectively assigned specific criminal cases to be heard during the ongoing judicial vacation.

His comments come amid controversy over the decision to continue hearing the criminal trials involving former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Hanan Abdul-Wahab and former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen during the court vacation.

In response, there have been petitions by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame and lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea, who asked the Chief Justice to reverse warrants authorising Justice Francis Achibonga to hear the cases on August 11 and 12.

They argue that substantive criminal trials should not proceed during the legal vacation because , in their view, such a move departs from established judicial practice.

However, in a social media post on Thursday, August 6, Prof. Kwaku Azar said assertions that the Chief Justice had handpicked cases for hearing during the vacation were unfounded.

“Some people are creating the impression that the Chief Justice has selectively chosen certain cases to be heard during the judicial vacation. That impression is simply false,” he wrote.

According to him, the Chief Justice only designates judges to serve as vacation judges, a long-standing practice permitted under the law, and such appointments do not amount to assigning them special cases.

He explained that vacation judges hear motions and interlocutory matters in cases assigned to judges on leave and also continuing with cases already before them.

He stressed that they independently decide whether to adjourn, proceed with hearings or make any lawful orders without direction from the Chief Justice.

The CJ’s designation of a judge as a vacation judge has no bearing whatsoever on how that judge manages or decides any case,” asserted.

Prof. Kwaku Azar further argued that lawyers have no legal entitlement to a judicial vacation, noting that while they may arrange leave with their clients, the scheduling of court proceedings ultimately rests with the courts.

He also reiterated his long-held view that Ghana’s lengthy judicial vacation should be reviewed.

He called for trial courts to operate throughout the year with judges taking staggered leave while designated vacation judges ensure urgent court business continues uninterrupted.