Chief Justice advices judges, judicial service staff to live above reproach

The Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has condemned the practice where some staff of the Judicial Service allegedly take money from desperate and innocent people with the view to helping them to obtain favourable judgment.

She said it was a crime on the part of anyone to pay money to any official of the judicial service to influence the decision of the courts, and urged the public to desist from the practice since both the giver and the taker are equally guilty of the crime.

The Chief Justice was speaking in Sunyani during a staff durbar of the Judicial Service, which was well attended by various categories of staff of the service in the Brong Ahafo Region as part of her three-day working visit to the region.

Madam Sophia Akuffo would be visiting a number of the courts in the region during her visit to acquaint herself with their state and interact with the staff.

She was not happy about the negative public perception about the judiciary and stressed on the staff, especially the Judges, to work hard to reverse that perception by desisting from engaging in all negative practices which tend to soil the image of the service.

Touching on her vision as the CJ, she said she hoped to establish a strong judicial system hinged on integrity, technology, and improved infrastructure and announced plans to install solar panels on some Court facilities to serve as their primary source of energy.

She bemoaned the attitude of some staff of the service who she noted sit unconcerned for facilities at their disposal to deteriorate and become virtually not useable anymore without taking any the necessary measures to save the situation.

For his part, the Supervising High Court Judge, Justice Baayeh complained of the poor state of most of the courts in the Brong Ahafo Region.

He admitted that some municipal and district assemblies in the region are doing well by providing new courtrooms, others, however, appear to have the view that they would be doing the Judicial Service favour if they provided such facilities.

Justice Baayeh also complained of the inadequate number of judges in the region, saying; there are only seven judges serving the entire region and these are responsible for the numerous cases pending at the various courts in the region.