Only 404 Judges, Magistrates administering Justice in Ghana-Chief Justice
Touching on the role of Judges and Magistrates, CJ AninYeboah reminded them of their service to the community. He said their service to the community is pivotal in the administration of justice according to the law. He added the office of Judges and Lawyers gives them that opportunity, which is a privilege and a duty
The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah has bemoaned the low number of Judges and Magistrates administering Justice in a litigious Country like Ghana, with its 30.8 Million population.
According to him, this situation may affect the accessibility of the Courts and justice to the poor in society.
“We have serious constraints as an institution. In a population of over thirty million(30,000,000), we have less than 404 Judges and Magistrates administering justice in a litigious society like Ghana,” he said.
“The Courts of justice may not easily be accessible to the poor who may equally not qualify for legal aid,” he added.
The Chief Justice made this revelation when he delivered an address at the opening of the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at the Labadi Beach Hotel.
This year’s Annual General Meeting is on the theme:” THE QUANDARY OF THE JUDGE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD.”
Justice Anin Yeboah furthermore applauded the Government and Members of Parliament for the construction of some new courts under the District Assembly Common Fund Project. He also expressed his gratitude to the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund in this regard.
Touching on the role of Judges and Magistrates, CJ AninYeboah reminded them of their service to the community. He said their service to the community is pivotal in the administration of justice according to the law. He added the office of Judges and Lawyers gives them that opportunity, which is a privilege and a duty.
Also on their roles, he entreated Judges and Magistrates to advise litigants in appropriate cases to resort to ADR in which ADR is appropriate to lessen the burden and avoid unnecessary adjournments that are not sought on legitimate grounds.
In conclusion, he indicated that the role of the plethora of e-justice technologies that impact on accessibility, legality, and economy of judicial systems have made the role of Judges and Magistrates complex. He, therefore, called for a revision of the rules of court and the practice directions.
“The accelerated use of ICT in the judiciary has steadily provided an alternative means of accessing the courtroom through the e-justice and virtual court platforms. However, this calls for a revision of the rules of court and the practice directions, as well as a consideration of the availability of the requisite infrastructure,” he ended.
