I Will Uphold Judicial Independence - CJ

The Chief Justice, Mr. E.K. Wiredu says he is not only committed to the total transformation of the judiciary, to ensure discipline and professional work ethics, but also to uphold judicial independence.

Mr. Wiredu said this at the opening of a case management workshop for judges of the Fast Track Court (FTC) in Accra yesterday.

"We have been able to make tremendous strides and proved the efficacy of the new system of faster trial of cases called Fast Track Court," he said, adding that a statistical and performance report of the FTC for the period of ten months indicates that out of a total of 162 cases filed, 113 were ripe for hearing and 63 representing 55.7% had been disposed of.

The Chief Justice said with the expansion of the FTC to all the regional capitals some of the judges would be asked to assist in training other judges.

He said the World Bank is funding a training programme for judges who do not know how to use computers, and said to be able to make any meaningful stride, judges have to take Information Technology serious since the world has become a Global Village.

Reading a note to the judges, the Acting Director of Continuing Judicial Education, Mr. S.A. Brobbey said, the public notion that FTC was established to deal with only criminal cases is not true. "Commercial cases for instance top all cases in the Fast Track Court," he said. He said land cases are not treated at the FTC due to their frequent occurrences. At least 60 cases are recorded in a day and if they are allowed at the FTC, the system will collapse, he said.