The government has set November 2026 as a key deadline for translating accepted recommendations from Ghana’s constitutional review process into draft legislation, as the newly constituted Constitution Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) begins its work.
The 11-member committee, chaired by legal practitioner Marietta Brew, was sworn into office by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, at the Law House in Accra on Friday, August 28, 2026.
The committee is expected to prepare the first set of constitutional amendment Bills, particularly those relating to non-entrenched provisions, for presentation to Parliament by November.
Dr Ayine said the committee had been given a mandate that was both politically inclusive and time-sensitive, stressing that its work should translate accepted reforms into practical legal measures.
“Your task is deliberately bipartisan and deliberately time-bound,” he told the members.
He said the government had already issued its position on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee and accepted a substantial package of proposed reforms, while a “zero draft” had also been prepared to guide the committee’s work.
According to Dr Ayine, the committee would have to reconcile the accepted recommendations with the government’s position paper and previous draft Bills prepared by an earlier implementation committee.
He said the recommendations reflected the views of citizens gathered through consultations across the country.
“What the committee gave us was not a technical document written for lawyers. It was the voice of the Ghanaian people on questions that touch every one of us,” he said.
The proposed reforms cover issues including presidential tenure, the size of Parliament, the election and leadership of district assemblies, and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Dr Ayine said the drafting stage would be critical to ensuring that the final proposals remained faithful to the consultations that informed the review.
“What is left is the most exacting part, getting the drafting right,” he said.
CRIC Chairperson Marietta Brew said the committee would not undertake another general review but would focus on converting accepted recommendations into workable legal measures.
“Our responsibility is to translate the recommendations accepted by government into lawful, coherent and practical measures capable of implementation,” she said.
Reforms involving entrenched provisions could be subjected to a referendum alongside the 2027 District Assembly Elections, while others would require parliamentary or administrative action.
