Chief Justice swears in thirteen magistrates, circuit court judges
Thirteen magistrates and circuit court Judges were on Thursday sworn in by the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood at a ceremony in Accra.
The circuit court judges, comprising two males and three females, are Baah Forson Agyapong, Malcolm E. Bedzrah, Mercy Adei Kotei, Priscilla Dirkro and Mary M.E. Nsenkyire.
The magistrates are Joyce Boahen, Rita Amonyiwah Edusah, Anthony Aduku-Aidoo, Evelyn Asamoah, Gloria Mensah Bonsu, Susana Eduful, Agnes Opoku Bamieh and Afia Owusuwaa Appiah.
They were made to recite the National Pledge following a request by the Chief justice.
After administering the oath of allegiance and secrecy and judicial oath, Mrs Wood made the new judges and magistrates recite the national pledge, after which she asked them to ponder the words.
“I want you to apply and address the words in the national pledge,” she said.
Mr Justice Alex Opoku explained that the judicial service for the first time published the names of the applicants in the national dailies and requested for memoranda from the public.
The exercise enabled citizens to participate in the selection of judges and to weed out people who lack integrity and therefore are not eligible to be appointed.
Mrs Hellen A.A. Zewu, Acting Solicitor General, said that the Judiciary deserves commendation for initiating a system of thoroughly screening and selecting new members of the bench before their appointment.
According to her the judiciary in recent times has been assailed with incompetence and corruption.
She therefore urged the magistrates and judges to approach their new career with dedication and be good agents of change.
Mr Benson Nutsukpi, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), implored the magistrates and Judges to hold fast to what was good and worthy.
He said the association would provide them with support and cooperation and asked them to extend the courtesies and cordialities due them and other officers of the court.
“It would be our wish that your courts will be more communicative, It is our hope that where you may not for one reason or other, be able to sit or attend court , we get informed early enough so as not to sit in court and waste valuable time.”
Source: GNA