Delays in payment of allowances affecting our delivery – Judges laments

Judges and Magistrates in the country have expressed grave concerns over delays in the payment of their allowances that are legitimately due to them in recent times.

According to them, even though they are aware of the economic challenges in the country, the delays are negatively affecting justice delivery, hence the issue must be addressed.

Justice Henry Kwofie, the President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 annual general conference of AMJG on the theme: "A Financially Independent and Accountable Judiciary: The Key to Effective Justice Delivery".

At the program, he stated how their unpaid allowance was affecting their work.

He said: “There have been serious discussions amongst us particularly this year, about serious delays in the payment of various allowances of Judges and Magistrates not only this year but over the years. In deciding on the theme therefore at several meetings of the National Executives on one side and also the national board, there was near unanimity that the issue of delayed payment of allowances, fuel, leave, medical allowances, and book allowances, these issues and the delay was clearly seen as a hindrance to the effective delivery of justice".

“In our view, these delayed payments must not be seen in isolation but must be seen in the context of shortfalls in the budget of the judiciary institution as a whole,” Justice Henry Kwofie said.