Judiciary should be above reproach - CJ

Accra, Nov.10, GNA - Mr Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justice, on Monday asked the Judiciary to live above reproach.

He said they owed it a duty to the nation to ensure that their actions and activities were honest, fair and in accordance with the law. Mr Justice Acquah made the call at the opening of the Petitions and Complaints Unit (PCU) of the Judicial Service in Accra.

The Unit, the first to the established, would investigate public complaints to ensure that the delivery of justice to the citizenry was done in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner.

He reminded members of the Judiciary that it was a misconception to believe that they were above the law and could, therefore, "manipulate the machinery of justice anyhow under the cloak of judicial immunity," adding that "such an impression was not only erroneous and untenable, but also unconstitutional".

The Chief Justice said President Kufuor's policy on "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" would remain a mere slogan and a mirage, if concrete anti-corruption measures were not put in place to expose and suppress that social vice.

He said corruption in the daily lives of Ghanaians must be seen in a much bigger and broader context than the parochial, myopic and limited scope.

"To me, when a file is reported missing, or when a clerk intentionally does not bring it to court, or when a lawyer, who knows he has a bad case, continually asks for adjournments on grounds of one technicality or another, then the system of administration of justice is debased and perverted", he said.

Mr Justice Acquah stressed the need for more resources for institutions and structures established to deal with corruption and indiscipline in the society.

He said several reform measures were underway to ensure that the administration of justice was efficient and credible to the public. This include the review and simplification of the archaic and complex court rules and processes that had over the years, been manipulated by unscrupulous court officials to the disadvantage of litigants.

Mr Justice Acquah called on the public to lodge their complaints with the Unit, established to redeem not only the image of the Judicial Service, but the entire nation but warned them against mere allegations and speculations, that would not benefit anyone.

"What I require of the public is boldness to make use of the Unit, where out of fear, timidity or docility someone fails or neglects to make a complaint, when he genuinely has one, that person has no moral justification to go about chastising the Judiciary", he said.

The Chief Justice advised staff of the Unit to be transparent in their dealings with the public and pledged that support to the Unit, would not only be fundamental, but also crucial to the growth of the Rule of Law in Ghana.

Mr Justice Acquah said similar Units would be opened in other parts of the country soon.

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice, who chaired the function, said the establishment of the Unit was a step in the right direction, to help stem the tide of corruption.

He pledged Government's continued support for the Judiciary in its efforts to improve the administration of justice in Ghana.