Benin to learn from Ghana's democratic experience

Accra, June 3, GNA - The Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood said on Wednesday, that the Judiciary had instituted intensive training coupled with judicial reforms to transform the legal system to effectively and efficiently bring justice to the doorsteps of the ordinary Ghanaian.

The Chief Justice said this when a delegation from the Republic of Benin, paid a visit to her in Accra, as part of a familiarization visit to Ghana.

The delegation led by the Minister of Public Sector Reform, Mr Joseph Ahanhanzo Glele is in the country to share ideas on civic education and the promotion and enforcement of fundamental human rights.

The four-day visit is facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme. Mrs Wood noted that the reforms had given a facelift to the Judicial Service, hence the satisfaction of Ghanaians with the current output of the courts.

"This is evident in the increasing number of cases being brought to the courts on daily basis for justice, despite the complaints of long trials from the public."

Mrs Wood explained that the Judiciary has also established and automated special courts to deal with labour, industrial and human right issues and fast tracked the trial of some criminal cases. Justice Jones Dotse, a Supreme Court Judge, who answered a question on how corruption among the judicial system was being tackled? Said, a complaint unit had been established within the Judiciary and was receiving positive response from the public.

She said it was difficult for complainants to testify against members of the Bench who were found culpable, adding that they either withdraw along the line or give false addresses, which could not be traced for further information.

Mr Glele said Ghana had a huge experience that Benin could learn from and commended the country for the strategies put in place to fight corruption as well as the measures instituted to tackle judicial and legal reforms.