Attorney-General validates client service charter

The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice (OAGMOJ) on Thursday validated its client service charter with an advice to all agencies to ensure they developed their charters.

Mr Suleiman Ahmed the Chief Director at the Attorney-General who gave the advice said, it would help improve services rendered to Ghanaians as well as promote transparency and deepen democracy.

The Charter contains services and standards; time frame, processes, requirement for delivery, feedback services and information of Agencies among other things.

Mr Ahmed stated this at a workshop to validate a draft on the client service charter, held in Accra.

It was attended by representatives from the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice; Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO); Copyright office; Registrar-General’s Department; Ministry of Justice; and Civil Service.

He said clients must know the standard of services provided to them and their stipulated timelines as tax payers and noted that the Charter indicates services and timelines making public servants accountable to the citizenry.

He explained that the OAGMOJ prepared its document about five years ago and noted that there was the need to revise it periodically.

“It will also give room for clients to take us on if we are unable to fulfil our part of the bargain,” Mr Ahmed added.

The Chief Director said the validated document would be printed out and made available to institutions such as the ministries, civil society organisations, among others for the public to know the content so that they hold them accountable in terms of delivering quality services.

Mrs Mavis Asare Donkor, Director of Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation (PBMED), Office of the Head of Civil Service urged OAGMOJ not to keep the document on the shelves but make it available to Ghanaians to ensure they know the services expected.

She called on government to have a stakeholder sensitization for people to educate them on the content of the charter.

The Director called for the creation of client service units so that clients would not deal with the officers directly to avoid delays.

Mrs Donkor said there should be data collection to guide management decision as well as provide for the necessary logistics to enhance delivery.

She encouraged personnel to improve service delivery and always think of how to make their work better so that posterity favours them.

The charter spells out, the vision of the Office of AG and Ministry of Justice as an efficient and accessible system of justice exhibiting the highest standards in professionalism and engendering a high degree of public trust and confidence.

The Charter would be implemented by agencies under the OAGMOJ namely; Legal Aid, Registrar-General’s Department, Legal Office (Office of the Attorney General), EOCO, General Legal Council (Ghana School of Law), Copyright Office, Council for Law Reporting and the Law Report Commission.

Again, the charter states the functions as initiating and prosecuting criminal cases, preparing executive instrument and gazette, producing and publishing Ghana Law reports and review of Ghana law to strengthen the capacity of lawyers and judges as well as provide legal services to the indigent, vulnerable and resolve conflict through mediation.

Values enshrined includes transparency, integrity, zero tolerance for corruption, competency, maintaining high standard of excellence, team work, professionalism and respect for due process.