Corruption perception about Judiciary due to public ignorance of processes- SC nominee
These perceptions have most of the time been supported one way or another by various surveys like the Afro Barometer by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD).
Many in Ghanaian society, especially, perceive the judiciary as among the most corrupt institutions.
These perceptions have most of the time been supported one way or another by various surveys like the Afro Barometer by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD).
As to whether this remains a perception or reality, is a knot in an untying process.
Thus appearing before Parliament’s Appointment Committee, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and a lawyer of over twenty-five (25) years, Yaw Asare Darko, who is among three persons being considered for elevation to Ghana’s apex court, insisted that it is a perception.
According to him, the seemingly entrenched view of judicial corruption among the public is usually due to their lack of understanding of judicial processes.
Citing a practical experience with a client, he noted that people often want lawyers to do magic even when they have a bad case and thus end up reading meanings into the outcomes of courts.
To deal with this, Justice Darko called for more education and engagement of the public on the processes of the judiciary to erase such perceptions among them.
Alternative settlement of cases
He said that about sixty percent of cases in Ghana can be settled amicably without resorting to full trials to deal with delays in our courts.
He thus called for a mandatory pre-trial conference for all cases to explore means of amicably settling cases before going to trial.
Justice Yaw Darko, together with Justice Anthony Kwoffie and Justice Richard Adjei Frimpong, all of the Court of Appeal, faced parliament’s Appointment Committee on December 21 for questioning before their elevation to the Supreme Court.
