Judges urged to be proactive in handling electoral offences

Justice Jones Dotse, Justice of the Supreme Court, has urged Judges and Magistrates to be more proactive in handling cases of registration and electoral offenses.

He observed that cases on electoral and registration offences were sensitive, therefore the need to exhibit judicial decorum, fairness, impartial and also make sure pronouncement of judgment would be in a reasonably short time.

Justice Dotse said this in Koforidua, at the opening of a-day training on adjudicating electoral disputes, for judges and magistrates from the Eastern and Volta Regions.

He said the training was to sensitize judges and magistrates on their roles and responsibilities, under the new law on public elections (registration of voters) regulations, 2012, CI 72).

Justice Dotse said the law creates various responsibilities for the judiciary as an institution, which required that they build the capacity of judges and magistrates.

He said the training was also to get judges and magistrates to have the new laws “first hand” to enable them to apply it judiciously to hasten judgments.

Justice Dotse urged security agencies to be up and doing since they initiate cases before the law courts.

He said if they did not come out with proper cases, which were well investigated, the judges and magistrates would not have free hand to dispense justice.

Justice Dotse appealed to authorities of security services to also educate their officers on the new laws, to ensure that the prosecution is abreast with the law.

The participants would be taken through the public elections (registration of voters) regulations, 2012, CI 72, discussing the application of the law and the role the judiciary had to play in enforcing the law.

They would also discuss the various offences created under the law and the appropriate sanctions under it.

Source: GNA