Judiciary needs strong PR to deal with corruption perception – Justice Anthony Kwofie

Supreme Court nominee, Anthony Henry Kwofie, has expressed concern regarding the perceived corruption associated with the judiciary in the country.

During his appearance before the vetting committee on Wednesday, December 20, he sought to dispel any notions of corruption within the judiciary, emphasizing the importance of effectively communicating to regain public confidence.

In addressing the issue, Justice Kwofie stressed the need for improved communication, recognizing its vital role in the present age.

He suggested a reevaluation of the judiciary’s communication department and advocated for the establishment of a robust communications or public relations department to address public concerns and enhance transparency.

“The perception about corruption is a mind issue. And perceptions are difficult to deal with. There have been several seminars not by the association but by the judiciary on corruption, on ethics and as I said we also have a complaint unit…Almost every year we do it.

“The perceptions of corruption, some of them are unfounded. Somebody goes to court, he loses a case, and there is corruption. Somebody goes to court, he misconducts himself, there is an issue, there is corruption. Unfortunately, we as judges cannot sit and make press conferences and say that this is this.”

“Communication in this age is extremely important…probably we need to look at our communication department. It is something I have personally been advocating for that we need a very strong communications or public relations department,” he said.

On a separate note, Justice Kwofie addressed concerns about salaries for Article 71 holders, revealing that judges are currently operating under salary structures fixed in 2020, without incremental adjustments for the past three years.

He underscored the importance of regular salary increments, as stipulated by Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution, as a means to alleviate controversies surrounding judges’ compensation.