Judiciary must earn public trust, not demand it — Asiedu Nketiah

National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has called on the judiciary to take concrete steps to restore public confidence in the institution.

He said confidence in the judiciary cannot be imposed through legislation or demands, but must be built through fairness, consistency and openness to legitimate criticism.

Asiedu Nketiah made the remarks at a Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Bauchi, Nigeria, on Tuesday, August 11.

“The issue is whether the judiciary will conduct itself in ways that earn the trust of the people in the country,” he said.

Speaking on the theme, “Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”, Mr Asiedu Nketiah said political parties and the judiciary both have important roles to play in protecting democratic governance.

He rejected suggestions that the judiciary should have no involvement in political matters, arguing that courts have a constitutional role in resolving electoral disputes and ensuring that laws governing elections are followed.

He cited Ghana’s 2012 presidential election dispute, in which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) challenged the election results at the Supreme Court, with the court ruling in favour of President John Mahama by a 5-4 majority.

He further cited Kenya and Malawi as examples of countries where the judiciary has played important roles in protecting democratic processes, urging other African countries to learn from their experiences.

According to him, surveys indicating that fewer than 40 per cent of Ghanaians have confidence in the judiciary should be a concern for the institution.

He said the judiciary must therefore work to improve public confidence by being open to criticism, delivering consistent judgments and ensuring fairness irrespective of political affiliation.