Time to examine the mental health statuses of our judges

The timing and choice of the headline of this piece are without malice or bad faith.

The world is celebrating Mental Health Month and there is the need for us as a country to participate fully by doing the needful.

It appears no attention is given when it comes to the mental health statuses of certain professionals in this country. Over the years, we have heard politicians loosely demanding for the examination of the mental health state of presidential candidates. Late President John Evans Atta Mills suffered this pressure at the hands of ‘small boys’ from the opposing political divide.

Interestingly, almost everybody has either ignored or failed to show interest in putting in same demand when it comes to the people who interpret our laws and administer justice. Judges are considered too powerful in this country. A fearful animal called CONTEMPT OF COURT has been groomed and placed strategically to bark at and bite citizens. Basic definition of health postulates that an individual health is incomplete without that integral part of his or her mental health state taken into consideration.

I am not a lawyer and, for some reasons, I do not want to be one. Filth has taken over that onetime enviable profession. That is a topic for another day. It has now metamorphosed from a learned profession into a lineage profession.

Judges, no doubt, do a lot of work that demands the full utilisation of the brain. It is in view of this that a periodic examination of the mental statuses of our judges is important.

Whatever ruling or judgment they pronounce today, regardless of their mental health condition at the time to writing such judgements, binds on us. And it affects families and communities. It will be ridiculous to have a judgment given by a mentally unstable judge for millions of citizens to suffer. If a judge would accept a goat or boiled beans and rice to adulterate judgement, one does not need to be a mental health expert to diagnose such a judge.

I am convinced that a humble call on the Chief Justice to take lead in this would not warrant the release of the trained animal (contempt of court). I respectfully call on Parliament to seriously consider this when judges appear before them for vetting. The posture of some judges requires a serious look into their health statuses. If my call is in order, kindly join the crusade.

Haruna Sumaila Abugri
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