The Chief Justice, Ms Sophia A. Akuffo, on Thursday, swore in eight Circuit Court Judges at a ceremony in Accra with a charge on the judges to ensure that persons put on trial are proven guilty beyond all doubt.
According to the Chief Justice, judges should not be deterred with complex matters but rather identify the golden thread in them to resolve such cases.
[contextly_sidebar id=”yZzdhOrWZNm2ceHw4VNIKrXfH09TBSIE”]Ms Akuffo who administered the Oath of Allegiance, the Judicial Oath and Oath of Secrecy to the newly appointed judges advised them to ensure that their actions in or outside the courtroom shape the institution of justice delivery in the country.
“As judges, you should be guided by the Code of Ethics of your profession,” she said.
She further reminded the judges to avoid unduly delaying cases since that creates the foundation for backlog of cases.
Ms Akuffo further advised them to adopt an Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism in their case management efforts.
Ms Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Justice and Attorney General congratulated the newly appointed judges and urged them to approach their work with dignity.
According to her, dignity will earn them respect from the bench and the bar.
The Minister of Justice urged the judges to approach their work with all seriousness no matter how small a case might be.
“You should not hesitate to ask if you do not understand the law, no one knows all the law,” she said.
Ms Cynthia Pamela A. Addo, Judicial Secretary congratulated the judges for successfully going through the rigorous recruitment process conducted by the Judicial Service and the Appointment Committee of the Judicial Council.
Ms Addo said as Circuit Judges, they are a point of contact with the public and urged them to give the public a good and positive impression about the bench.
Mr Tony Forson, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) said the nation expect so much from judges and urged them to refresh themselves with the law.
Mr Forson urged the Judicial Service not hesitate to crack the whip on erring judges.
“The GBA will expose and petition erring judges to protect the sanctity of the Judicial Service,” he said.
Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, President of the Association of Magistrate and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) appealed to the judges to be disciplined by adhering to the dates and time they gave.
Mr Justice Dzamefe said as Circuit Court judges they are to deliver simple and reasoned judgments as to why litigants win or lose cases.
“There should zero tolerance for corruption and be careful of whom you interact with,” he added.
Mrs Dorinda Smith-Arthur on behalf of her colleague judges promised to administer justice without fear or favour.
The rest of the new circuit court judges are: Alfred Kwabena Asiedu, Veronique Abena Praba Manfort, Charles Kwasi Acheampong, Sylvester Nii Okine Ablorh, Joyce Boahen, Rita Amonyiwah Edusah and Anthony Aduku-Aidoo.
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Source: GNA