CJ presents certificates to seven companies

Accra, Oct 31, GNA-The appointment of private process servers at the courts is not intended to lay off bailiffs.

Rather, the move is to assist the Judicial Service in the speedy delivery of justice by disposing of the backlog of cases pending at the law courts.

Mr Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Chief Justice (CJ) made these remarks in Accra on Tuesday when he presented certificates to seven companies, authorizing them to act as private process servers at the courts.

As part of the Reform and Modernization Programme of the Judicial Service to improve justice delivery in the country, it became necessary for the service to privatize the service of court process in the law courts.

This aspect of the reform programme received legal backing with the coming into force of the new High Court Civil Procedure Rules which empowered the Court to appoint private process servers. The rules mandates the servers to only serve processes paid for by users of the court, whilst all other processes are to be served by the court bailiffs who are employed to principally ensure effective execution of judgments and orders of the court.

Mr Justice Acquah explained that the rationale behind the private process servers scheme was to ensure that processes as filed by courts, were served promptly.

This he said, was not meant to dispense of the services of court bailiffs, because according to him, it was not the entire duties of the bailiffs that had been privatized.

The CJ assured bailiffs that some of them would continue to work, while others found to be better suited for other units of the Judicial Service, would be re-assigned.

Mr. Justice Acquah, however, made it clear that the Judicial Service would no more employ new bailiffs.

The private process servers, he said, would be required to work in High Courts in regional capitals, including Kumasi, Ho, Cape Coast, Sekondi/Takoradi, Koforidua and the Tema Municipality. The CJ indicated that when successfully implemented, the scheme would be extended to the Circuit Courts.

Mr Justice Acquah commended the selected private companies for their enthusiasm towards the scheme, and hoped their dedication and commitment would assist the Judicial Service in the speedy dispensation of justice.

Mr Anthony Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of A-Men International Limited, one of the seven selected companies, thanked the Judicial Service for the confidence reposed in them, and assured the CJ that they would live up to expectation.