'We will not bend the law to personal preference; we shall be independent enough' — Supreme Court Judges assure Mahama

Mrs. Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, a newly inaugurated Supreme Court (SC) Judge, has assured President John Dramani Mahama that she and her newly sworn-in colleague Supreme Court Judges would be independent enough to decide according to law.

“We are called not to bend the law to personal preference, but to interpret and apply it faithfully, impartially and courageously. That duty lies at the heart of the judicial office. We shall be independent enough to decide according to law,” Mrs. Justice Essah stated.

Mrs. Justice Essah gave the assurance in her remarks on behalf of her colleague new SC judges during their swearing-in by President Mahama at the Banquet Hall of the Presidency in Accra.

The newly inaugurated Supreme Court Judges were Mrs. Justice Essah and Mr. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, who were both Court of Appeal Judges and Mr Justice Tony Forson, a private legal practitioner and a former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

Mrs. Justice Essah on behalf of her colleagues, expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the honour of appointing them to serve as justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana.

“Above all, we give thanks to Almighty God whose grace, strength and guidance have sustained us throughout our respective journeys and brought us to this moment. We are deeply grateful for His goodness and for the privilege of this moment,” she said.

She added: “A few moments ago, we took solemn oaths to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Ghana and to administer justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will. Those words will not end here. They will find the expression in every matter we hear and every judgement we deliver.”

Mrs. Justice Osei said they came to the Supreme Court, conscious that judicial office was a sacred public trust, and courageous enough to do so when the decision was difficult, noting the need to always to remember that judicial authority was exercised not for their own benefits, but in service to the people in whom sovereignty laid and for whom justice was dispensed.

Mrs. Justice Essah noted that they acknowledged with appreciation all the constitutional bodies and institutions that had performed their respective roles in the processes culminating in this day, particularly the Judicial Council, the Council of State and Parliament.

She said they also owed an immense debt to those whose names might never appear in the official record of the occasion, saying “that is our families, friends, colleagues, and mentors.”

She said they had worked with them through their years and shared the demands of their professional lives and very often made sacrifices that enabled them to reach those points.

“To each of them we say a heartfelt thank you,” she said.

To the Chief Justice and their colleagues on the Supreme Court, she said they look forward to joining them in the work of the Court and to doing their part to preserve the independence, integrity, and dignity of the judiciary.

To the people of Ghana, in whose name justice was administered, Mrs. Justice Essah pledged: “We will hear every case with fairness and impartiality.”

“We will decide according to law; we will act with courage and integrity, and we will remain faithful to the Constitution and to the oaths we have sworn,” she assured.

The ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

GNA