Judiciary is not a gold mine- Chief Justice

Accra Oct. 31 GNA- The Chief Justice, Mr Justice George Kingsley Acquah on Friday said the Judiciary was not a gold mine for people to make money.

"The Judiciary is a not a gold mine. If it is your intention to make money here at the expense of your work, of honesty and of fair play, then you have missed your way. The Judiciary is, therefore, not the place for you", The Chief Justice told 34 Career Magistrates who were inducted into office in Accra.

Mr Justice Acquah said "If you misbehave the stigma will not be on you alone, it will be on the judiciary as well" and cautioned them to comport themselves both within and out of the court rooms. He asked them to learn to live as Magistrates on their pronouncements, and conduct their affairs in a manner that would bring honour to themselves, families and the judiciary.

Speaking on the state of the courts, he said there were 133 Magistrate courts with 61 Magistrates currently at post and 72 vacancies to be filled by lawyers with at least three years experience.

The Chief Justice said the Upper West Region had five Magistrate courts but there was no Magistrate at post while Upper East had a judge to man the five courts.

" In the Northern Region, of the 10 Magistrate courts there was only one Magistrate at post," he said.

Mr Justice Acquah noted that many lawyers were not attracted to the lower bench therefore there was the need to devise Magistrate-training courses for people to take up the positions.

He said the courses would within the next few years, enable the Judicial Service set up more Magistrate courts in virtually all principal towns and operate even during the week-ends.

Mr Justice Acquah said the training-courses would also set up special Magistrate courts for motor offences, juveniles and family tribunals there-by giving meaning and content to the government's noble intention of making justice available to all.

He commended the government and UNICEF for its commitment towards the funding of the courses.

Mr Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, Judicial Secretary noted that Magistrates who were to be trained for two years, would be taught " Ghana Legal System and Method", "Constitutional and Criminal Law", "Family Tribunal Practices and Juvenile Courts".

Present were Paapa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ms Gloria Akuffo and Mr Ambrose Dery, both Deputy Ministers of Justice, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Minister of the Interior and Mr Paul Adu Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA). The rest were Mr Kwaku Ansah Asare, Director of the Ghana law School and Justices of the Superior Courts of Judicature.