Justice Georgina Wood faces vetting on Thursday

Justice Georgina Wood, nominated by President Kufuor for appointment as the next Chief Justice, is set to face the Appointments Committee of Parliament on May 31.

Justice Georgina Wood has been a Supreme Court judge since 2002, and if Parliament approves her nomination, she will become the first female Chief Justice in the history of the country.

Meanwhile former Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, who told Joy News he has appeared several times before Justice Wood's court and therefore known her well over the years, said he would expect her to continue with the campaign against corruption in the judiciary, should she get the nod.

Mr. Ala Adjetey said corruption has been an age-long problem in the judiciary and even though the late Chief Justice, George Kingsley Acquah did his best in fighting the canker, a lot more need to be done. He said the entire Ghanaian society will need to join in the crusade and advised that with the public's unwillingness to readily volunteer information, Justice Wood will need a lot of charisma to succeed.

Ala Adjetey also wants to see the new Chief justice embark on rigorous reforms in the judiciary, particularly in the areas of court rules and the marriage and divorce laws.

Georgina Wood, born on June 8, 1947, attended Bishop's Girls and Methodist Schools and is currently the Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

She had her LLB (Hons) from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1970 after completing Wesley Girl's High School, Cape Coast in 1966. She took a six-month Post-Graduate Officers Training Course at the Ghana Police College.

She joined the Judicial Service as a District Magistrate Grade II and was later promoted to Grade l. She was promoted to the Court of Appeal as a presiding judge in 1991.

Justice Wood last year chaired the Georgina Wood Committee that probed the disappearance of 77 packets of cocaine from the MV Benjamin vessel on April 26, 2006, as well as the 588kg cocaine seized from some Venezuelans at Mempeasem, East Legon in Accra.