The Broken Gavel

The rule of law is very necessary in the democratic dispensation of every country. The Judiciary is one important arm of government that is seen as the bastion of rule of law and due process in every country. Ghana’s 1992 Constitution grants the Judiciary independence and thus the Executive arm of government has no right to interfere in the activities of the Judiciary. The moment the government wades into the activities of the Judiciary, then the independence of this arm of government has been infringed on.

The Judiciary must also conduct itself in a manner that will also make the citizens hold them in high esteem and have confidence in the justice system in the country. But when they go contrary to the tenets of the Judiciary, then the citizens will begin to question the integrity of this arm of government.

Currently, there is an ongoing investigation about an alleged audio visual recording alleging that certain judges and judicial service officials being involved in taking bribes to truncate ongoing court cases and also setting some alleged criminals free. This has brought the confidence of the people in the Judicial service to its lowest ebb. Now, most of those alleged to have taken bribes are contesting the allegations and have gone further to sue the private investigator/journalist Anas Aremyaw Anas and his outfit Tiger Eye PI. But we all agree that the gavel has been broken a long time ago. So what will the judges use to keep order in the courtroom when the gavel is broken? Will they clap or shout for the people to keep quiet?

Ghanaians and the whole world are waiting for the tape to be released by Anas Aremyaw Anas and Tiger Eye PI. But come to think of it, we have been having some perceptions about corruption in the Judiciary for a long time and this tape might have confirmed it. Lets help clean the Judicial Service and make sure the gavel is not broken, but hey whiles you read this, make sure you dont fall foul of the law. Just a reminder, the whole process of breaking the gavel starts with our men in blue/black. God save Ghana, God bless our homeland Ghana.