Hafisata Amaleboba

In 2025, Amaleboba was nominated by President John Dramani Mahama for appointment to the Supreme Court of Ghana as one of seven Court of Appeal Justices, pursuant to Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. The nomination was announced in a letter dated 29 April 2025, signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, and addressed to Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, requesting consideration for the appointment. The nominees, including Amaleboba, were referred to Parliament's Appointments Committee for vetting.^[6]

On 18 June 2025, Amaleboba appeared before Parliament's Appointments Committee for her Supreme Court vetting, where she articulated her judicial philosophy and addressed issues affecting Ghana's judiciary. She expressed her aspiration to be remembered as a judge of integrity, diligence, and one whose precedents would endure across generations.^[7][8] Amaleboba refuted claims that Ghana's family law favoured women in divorce settlements, citing Article 22 of the 1992 Constitution to affirm that property distribution was based on equitable contribution, not gender, and recounted a case where she awarded a woman's property to a man to illustrate the law's impartiality. She attributed delays in justice delivery to a shortage of judges, insufficient manpower, and complex court procedures, particularly the misuse of interlocutory applications, and called for increased judicial capacity to address case backlogs.^{[1][9][10][11]}

Amaleboba supported capping the number of Supreme Court judges but cautioned that such a decision should follow a comprehensive review of the court's jurisdictions and backlog issues to avoid frequent constitutional amendments.^[12][13][14] She rejected suggestions that a university degree should be mandatory for Members of Parliament, arguing that representation should reflect the democratic will of the people rather than academic qualifications, while distinguishing the technical role of judges.^[15] On the issue of chiefs engaging in politics, she advised that judges who also served as chiefs should exercise restraint in political commentary to maintain neutrality.^[16] Amaleboba also dismissed concerns that the Chief Justice's prior knowledge of judges could influence their decisions, emphasizing judicial independence. She supported President Mahama's sanctions against ministers for failing to declare assets, stating that they did not usurp the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice's mandate, as both entities could act independently.^{[17][18][19][20]} Additionally, she urged the Ghana Bar Association to encourage lawyers to undertake pro bono work to improve access to justice and proposed that students in missionary schools comply with institutional rules, asserting that such compliance did not infringe on their religious rights.^{[1][9][10][21][22][23][24][25][26]}

On 25 June 2025, Amaleboba's appointment to the Supreme Court of Ghana was confirmed by Parliament following a debate and a voice vote. The Appointments Committee's report endorsed Amaleboba and her fellow nominees; Sir. Dennis Dominic Adjei, Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Senyo Dzamefe, Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Philip Bright Mensah, and Janapare Bartels-Kodwo. The Majority supported the nominations, securing their approval, whilst the Minority caucus opposed the process, citing the suspension of the Chief Justice and alleging constitutional irregularities. Despite the Minority's objections, the Majority's backing ensured Amaleboba's confirmation, enabling her to proceed to the formal swearing-in by President John Dramani Mahama.^[27]

On 3 July 2025, Amaleboba was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana by President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra, alongside the six other justices. The ceremony was attended by Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, other Supreme Court Justices, members of the Judicial Council, senior government officials, and friends and family.^[28]

Amaleboba is married with three children and a practising Christian. She was a member of the Christian Professional Fellowship (CPF), where she occasionally preaches.^[2]