Chief Justice urges judges to deal with emerging law issues
The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, on Tuesday urged judges to provide critical judicial intervention that identifies and systematically addresses emerging new legal issues to suit the needs of society.
She said Ghana, as a growing economy in an emergent democracy, coupled with a rapidly expanding population, would inevitably experience conflicts over land and rise in new criminal and civil legal issues.
Justice Georgina Wood said this at the swearing-in of 14 new High Court Judges in Accra.
The new judges were also taken through the Oath of Allegiance, Judicial Oath and Oath of Secrecy.
The new judges are Mr Nathiel Kojo Ekwam Osam, Mr Kwesi Boakye, Mr Emmanuel Amo Yartey, Mr John Bosco Nabarese and Mr Gilbert Ayisi Addo.
The rest are Mrs Barbara N. Tetteh-Charway, Mr Eric Kyei Baffour, Mr Alexander Osei Tutu, Mrs Cecilia Donchebe Agbevey and Mrs Gifty Agyei Addo.
Others are Mrs Rebecca Naa Shormeh Sittie, Mrs Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Doreen Genevieve Boakye-Agyei and Mr Constant Kwaku Hometowu.
Justice Georgina Wood said the judiciary, as a central law enforcement branch of government, was to effectively respond to the needs and development exigencies of the time.
She said the failure by the judiciary in this endeavour risked being an impediment to the growth of the nation, creation of undisciplined and lawless society in which impunity was given free rein.
She said citizens and businesses routinely resorted to the use of vigilantism and other self-help methods outside the formal legal structures to address their law enforcement and dispute resolution needs.
Justice Georgina Wood said timely delivery of fair and impartial judicial outcomes was the pathway to bolster public trust and confidence in the judiciary, thereby attracting more investment.
She said citizens also relied on the courts for the protection of their liberties, freedoms and rights, and against abuse of all forms of governmental power, including judicial power.
Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, called on the new judges to seek the highest standards of integrity in both their professional and personal lives.
She said judges should be generally knowledgeable about the law and be willing to undertake careful legal research in areas of the law where they had challenges.
She charged the judges to write decisions that were sharp and logical which could stand the scrutiny when they went on appeal, adding that, they must be courteous to the people who appeared before them.
Mrs Appiah-Oppong charged the judges to make courageous decisions without fear or favour because justice is not a popularity contest.
She said despite the independence of the judiciary they were still accountable for their actions and the decisions they made.
“And as you are well aware hearings, trials and rulings can be open to public scrutiny, so that justice is not only done but must be seen to be done,” she said.
Mr Sam Okudzeto, a private Legal Practitioner, advised the new judges to appreciate that their elevation to the new position comes with a lot of responsibilities.
He said judges must not think that they knew it all but work with their seniors on the bench on issues that they do not understand.
He said the misbehaviour of one judge could reflect on other judges and as such they must guard against such tendencies.
“So far as you are in public office, be it a judge, the President or any other person, you are a public property,” he said.
Source: GNA