The Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonney, has defended the establishment of specialised courts to deal with corruption, financial crimes and illegal mining (galamsey)-related cases, dismissing perceptions that the initiative is intended to target politicians.
He said the courts were intended to strengthen the justice delivery system and ensure the expeditious handling of financial malfeasance and other infractions identified in the Auditor-General’s annual reports.
He said the courts would also facilitate the enforcement of surcharges and recovery of misused public funds.
“If you don’t have anything to hide or anything in your cupboard, why worry about the setting up of special courts?” the Chief Justice asked, stressing that the initiative was not intended to be a political witch-hunt.
Justice Baffoe-Bonney said the increasing cases of financial irregularities and public sector infractions required an effective judicial mechanism to ensure accountability and protect public resources.
He was speaking on Monday at the second Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.
The conference, on the theme, “Trade Unionism in the service: Partnering management for quality justice administration,” brought together members of the association from across the country to deliberate on issues affecting the welfare and professional development of staff, as well as elect new national executives.
The Chief Justice also charged staff of the Judicial Service to demonstrate professionalism, discipline and integrity and eschew practices that undermined the delivery of quality, speedy and fair justice to court users.
“We cannot demand a better Judiciary while countenancing poor service. We cannot ask the public to respect the Judiciary while those who work within it treat members of the public with indifference. We cannot lament delays in the courts while tolerating avoidable delays within our own offices,” he said.
He urged the Senior Staff Association to cultivate a culture of constructive engagement with management in addressing grievances and resolving workplace concerns to promote industrial harmony within the Judicial Service.
The National President of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana, Ms Marilyn Suttah, commended the Chief Justice for facilitating the coming into force of C.I. 141 and appealed to him to ensure its effective implementation.
She also urged the Chief Justice to facilitate the conclusion of negotiations on salaries and conditions of service for 2027 before the end of his tenure.
Ms Suttah further called for the refurbishment of court buildings across the regions to provide staff with a conducive working environment.
“We humbly request that steps should be taken to inaugurate and operationalise the other District Courts, so staff have better edifices for work,” she said.
The Asiprehene of the Fiapre Traditional Council, Nana Katinka Ahemeng Anwere, who chaired the programme, also appealed to the Chief Justice to address concerns over what he described as high bail conditions imposed by some courts.
He said addressing the concerns would help dispel perceptions that bail conditions were sometimes being used to frustrate politically exposed persons in the country.
The Chief Justice also acknowledged concerns over delays in justice delivery, saying efforts to improve the Judiciary should not focus solely on financial resources.
He said there was also the need to reduce turnaround time and improve the efficiency of court operations.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, FIAPRE
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