Chief Justice Fumes At Court Officials Who Manipulate Cases For Bribes
- Ghana's Chief Justice, Gertrude Araba Torkonoo, has lamented court officials who manipulate cases of the judiciary
- She noted that some court officials have allegedly been forging documents, aiding clients to rob heirs of their wealth
- She stated that her administration would ensure illegal activities were rooted out as part of reforming the judiciary
Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo has fumed at the exploitation of land litigation cases by some judicial staff members for personal gain.
She stated that some court officials have allegedly been manipulating land documents to favour clients who pay hefty bribes, thus undermining the judiciary’s integrity.
Source: UGC
The Chief Justice made these remarks at the Judicial Service Staff Association’s 50th anniversary celebration in Cape Coast over the weekend.
Gertrude Torkonoo admonished the staff members to stop these unethical practices and urged staff to uphold higher standards of public service.
She also charged staff to work assiduously to assuage the public’s negative perception of corruption within the judiciary.
Chief Justice blames delays in judicial corruption
The Chief Justice also raised concern about the alleged involvement of some court officials in other criminal activities that undermine the judicial process.
She said the increasing incidence of court officials aiding clients to create fake divorce documents and fraudulent letters of administration to deplete the accounts of deceased persons, thus robbing rightful heirs of their inheritance, is worrying.
Gertrude Torkonoo blamed these criminal activities for some of the delays in the justice delivery system.
According to her, public trust in the judiciary can only be restored when such practices are eliminated and efficiency is improved.
The Chief Justice also vowed to implement the necessary measures to ensure that judicial officials involved in such misconduct face severe consequences.
She said this formed part of her broader effort to reform the judiciary.
Law profession not a money-making venture
Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo also warned Ghanaian legal practitioners to avoid unethical practices.
She said the prioritisation of wealth creation over ethical conduct in the legal profession has become a worrying trend and must be curtailed.
The Chief Justice emphasised that the legal profession was noble, demanding integrity and commitment.
She said that to maintain the noble nature of the profession, many lawyers have been referred to the General Legal Council’s Disciplinary Committee for unethical behaviour towards their clients.
Chief Justice defends request for more judges
YEN.com.gh also reported that Gertrude Torkonoo justified her request that the President nominate five additional justices to Ghana’s Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice explained that more judges were needed to handle the overwhelming number of cases currently before the country's top court.
She said this while delivering her closing remarks after hearing filings by Amanda Odoi and Richard Dela Sky over Ghana's controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
