Don't see transfers as punishment-CJ

Accra, July 25, GNA - Mr. Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justice on Friday said transfers in the judiciary were not meant for punishment, but to broaden one's outlook and knowledge.

Mr Justice Acquah said staff in institutions, who stay on for a longer period turn out to show disrespect to authority and jeopardise that institutions system.

He was addressing the Judicial Press Corps (JPC) at the Supreme Court in Accra.

The maiden meeting between the CJ and the JPC was to congratulate him and to brief him on problems confronted by court correspondents in the pursuance of their duties at the court.

The Judicial Press Corps, include journalist from Ghana News Agency, New Times Corporation, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Peace FM, the Chronicle, the Statesman and the Heritage.

The CJ noted that it was unfair for some judges to refuse to go on transfer, adding that every part of the regions was part of the country. According to him, it was sad for a particular judge to work in the hinterland for years unended without tasting any environmental change.

Mr Justice Acquah said as part of measures to curb lapses in the Judicial Service, his administration was to "set up an annual report on the performances of judges at the higher and lower courts."

The CJ stated that the report was to enable the administration to assess the performance of every judge with certain period, the number of cases that one was able to dispose of, cases that went before the Court of Appeal and those which were pending before the courts.

The annual report, he said, would be ready from October 2004.

The CJ said every effort was being made to improve the welfare of both judges and the supporting staff.

He said, " in this way the objective of dispensing justice would be achieved." Mr Justice Acquah stated that a Complaint Unit would soon be established at the Cocoa Affairs Cluster of Courts to enable the public address their problems. The CJ acknowledged that the Cocoa Affairs Courts building was in a deplorable stage and said he intends to rehabilitate the premises to enable the staff to work in a comfortable atmosphere and also to increase productivity. He hinted that plans are far advanced to refurbish the higher courts to increase the number of Fast Track Court from three to six. "Judges at the Court of Appeal would also be sitting two times daily in order to reduce the number of cases pending before it, saying out of over 200 cases that were listed at the Court of Appeal between 2002 and 2003, only 48 cases were heard," added.

ATTENTION RECIPIENTS:ITEM 023 ENDS OUR THIRD TRANSMISSION. NSOC 24 Social Court Remand Court remands farm hand in custody Mankranso (Ash), July 25, GNA - A farm labourer who was on Wednesday arraigned at s Magistrate court at Mankranso for stealing a sheep valued at 300,000 cedis, has been remanded. Zigna Kwabena pleaded guilty and will re-appear on July 29. Police Inspector Carl Michael Adjeng told the court that on July 22, the accused was spotted carrying a fertiliser sack moving towards Potrikrom near Adugyama. The Adugyama Unit Committee members became suspicious and opened the sack only to find a dead sheep.