Judiciary must uphold values of integrity, fairness – Georgina Wood
Former Chief Justice Georgina Wood has entreated the Judicial Service to uphold the values of integrity and fairness in the administration of justice and shun acts or triggers of corruption.
She said the judicial integrity and related concepts of fairness and impartiality were the most critical values all judges must aspire to, for a trustworthy judiciary capable of attracting investments for nation building.
Justice Wood was speaking on the topic: “Integrity, Fairness and Impartiality” among the public and public offices, especially the Judiciary at the 2022 Bible Week Symposium organised by The Bible Society of Ghana.
She said when citizens were satisfied with and had respect for the work of the court, it had a positive impact on and covered the shortcomings of the other arms of government.
Referring to Article 19 of the 1992 constitution, she said it guaranteed the right to fair hearing and trial and charged the Judiciary to deplore impartiality.
“The person with integrity does not preach one thing and do the opposite and is trustworthy and dependable in both speech and conduct. Fairness implies non-discrimination, quality and reasonableness in all circumstances,” she added.
Justice Wood also condemned public sector corruption, which posed a great threat to democracy and national development and urged the Economic and Organised Crime Office, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, all law enforcement agencies and Parliament to work to ensure there were appropriate sanctions against law breakers.
She admonished the public to exhibit values for integrity and honesty through the payment of taxes, asking: “Do we pay our taxes as commanded by the Lord or we have turned ourselves into tax evaders and clever avoiders?”
“Our media should think about ethical values of integrity and the irreversible damage they do to people through publications. To our local markets, do you adjust scales in your stores in order to outsmart or cheat customers?” she asked.
The former Chief Justice entreated the public to instill integrity and strong moral values in their children during their formative years to make them detest the growing canker.
The Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, who chaired the programme, said the symposium was going to create awareness on what Ghanaians needed to do on the level of corruption, hypocrisy and misdeeds to curb the situation.
Bishop Boafo also called on parents and teachers to do the right thing whenever with their wards and students to instill discipline in them to gradually define their future and move them from the path of corruption.
“If we tell ourselves that I will not involve myself in this kind of corruption that is becoming a canker in our nation, then we can redefine tomorrow and make it better,” he said.
Source: GNA