Biased justice threat to national security – Minister
Mr Kan Dapaah advised that when the bench is also perceived to be biased, citizens may eventually take the law into their own hands.
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has intimated that when the justice delivery system fails to provide citizens with fair trials, it ultimately poses a threat to national security.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the national security strategy for judges of the superior courts, Mr Kan Dapaah advised that when the bench is also perceived to be biased, citizens may eventually take the law into their own hands.
“Injustice occasioned as a result of the absence of an effective justice delivery system or delayed justice or biased justice is certainly a threat to national security. Indeed, when injustice abounds, particularly in situations where the bench, which is considered the final arbiter of disputes, is deemed biased, citizens tend to take the law into their own hands most times without recourse to the established systems of justice delivery,” he explained.
He continued: “the failure of the criminal justice system to ensure effective and expeditious trial of criminals adversely impacts the morale of law enforcement agencies, emboldens criminals to perpetrate more crime, and breeds lawlessness among the citizenry; developments which threaten the internal security of the state.”
According to him, discussions around issues of national security often tend to overlook the concept of justice.
He noted that in order for the state to achieve peace, security, and stability, greater responsibility lies with members of the judiciary to ensure that happens.
“If the interpretation of the law is so much in our favour all the time, people will start accusing the judiciary and will not have the confidence that they need. The ultimate responsibility in doing so lies squarely at the feet of members of Ghana’s judicial system who are entrusted by law with the power to ensure effective justice delivery,” he said.
