Private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw has made sweeping allegations about corruption within Ghana's judiciary, claiming that while some judges are directly involved in corrupt practices, many others are being compromised by lawyers, litigants and political influence.

Speaking on GhanaWeb TV's The Lowdown show, the outspoken lawyer argued that corruption within the justice system extends beyond judges demanding money, insisting that the broader system creates conditions that make judicial officers susceptible to undue influence.

"There are a lot of judges who are corrupt," he said.

He, however, clarified that in many instances, "it's not the judges who are corrupt, but persons in the legal space corrupt them."

'I have never taken a bribe in my life' - Lawyer Ampaw

According to Ampaw, judges are ordinary people who are exposed to the same societal pressures as everyone else.

"If Ghanaians are corrupt, are judges not Ghanaians? If the system is corrupt, are they exempted?" he questioned.

The lawyer blamed litigants and legal practitioners for fuelling judicial corruption, recounting an instance where a client allegedly offered to bribe a judge before the case had even begun.

He said the client suggested setting aside GH¢50,000 for the judge because he believed justice could only be secured through inducement.

Ampaw noted that some unscrupulous lawyers exploit such situations by collecting money from clients under the pretext of bribing judges without ever delivering the money.

He also claimed that political influence has become another form of judicial corruption, alleging that some judges seek favourable rulings for governments in anticipation of promotions.

"There are some judges who are working directly under the influence of politicians," he alleged.

According to him, such judges may not necessarily receive cash payments but are motivated by career advancement.

"They will not take money, but they want to catch the eye of the president. Let me jail people who are the president's opponents, and I will be rewarded through promotion," he claimed.

Ampaw further alleged that he had personally encountered a judge who openly demanded money in exchange for granting bail to one of his clients.

He said the incident occurred more than a decade ago and involved negotiations between the judge and the accused person in his presence.

Despite his criticism, the lawyer maintained that corruption within the judiciary reflects a wider national problem rather than the conduct of judges alone.

"We are all corrupt... corruption is part of the system," he said, arguing that successive governments have failed to effectively tackle the problem because corruption is often weaponised for political purposes.

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Lawyer Maurice Ampaw on judicial corruption, national issues and Christian faith