The President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), Justice Henry Anthony Kwofie, has raised strong concerns about the worsening conditions affecting the judiciary, warning that the situation threatens the effective delivery of justice in the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 44th AMJG Conference in Accra on Wednesday, October 1, Justice Kwofie criticised the manner in which facilities and resources are provided to the judiciary.
“It suffices to say that facilities for the performance of functions of the judiciary are released, given to us as if we don’t deserve it,” he said.
He emphasised that the conference’s theme, “Leveraging Technology to Enhance Justice Delivery,” was timely, adding that digital tools have the power to transform court processes and improve efficiency.
“This theme was carefully chosen for the simple reason that it has the potential, if fully implemented, to transform the justice delivery system… The effective use of technology can significantly improve the efficiency, accessibility, and transparency of our justice delivery system.
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It can enhance the efficiency of our courts by streamlining processes, reducing huge paperwork, and enabling electronic filing and case management of cases, leading to faster disposal of cases, reduced pendency of cases, and improved citizen satisfaction,” he stated.
Justice Kwofie, however, lamented that despite repeated calls for support, critical welfare needs of judges remain unmet.
“Judges moving around without cars, judges’ allowances not being paid. I don’t remember the last time I received my medical bills. And it goes for everybody. Medical allowances are not released, subvention is not released, even when the thing has been approved,” he revealed.
He further highlighted the difficulties in accessing entitled benefits saying,“Even clearance for us to take drivers, security personnel, a lot of my colleagues, even at the superior court, don’t even have drivers. They don’t have for the lower bench, we might as well not talk about it.”
Justice Kwofie warned that these challenges make it nearly impossible for judges to perform their duties effectively.
“These difficulties make the work of judges extremely difficult, especially unlike other persons. We can’t do any other work apart from what we are doing as judges. I suppose that is why our conditions of service are such that it has to be treated with some circumspection by the authorities. And at least the Ministry of Finance will expedite action on it.”
He also drew attention to the struggles of lower court judges who often bear the cost of official duties.
Justice Kwofie warned that if the situation is not addressed, it could have dire consequences on the justice system.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
