A Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, has emphasized the crucial role of families in shaping the justice system in Ghana saying the quality of justice in a nation is inseparable from the quality of its families and communities.
According to him, early lessons in the family have shaped the citizens which has translated in the democratic process in society.
These patterns, he said, established in the family ripple outward through communities and institutions, ultimately determining whether a society’s commitment to justice is genuine or merely aspirational.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo made this call at an Academic Lecture University of Education, Winneba, on the topic, Justice Beyond the Courtroom: Law, Dialogue, and values in building a peaceful and stable Democratic Society in Ghana.
“The family is the first institution of justice,” Justice Ackaah-Boafo said. “It is where a child first encounters the ideas and ideals of fairness, consequence, responsibility, and forgiveness.”
He added that early lessons in the family shape the citizens that democracy will inherit.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo noted that patterns established in the family ripple outward through communities and institutions, ultimately determining whether a society’s commitment to justice is genuine or merely aspirational.
He cited Article 41 of the Constitution, which outlines the duties of every citizen, including upholding and defending the Constitution and respecting the rights and freedoms of others.
The Apex Court judge emphasized the importance of education in teaching these values, highlighting the University of Education’s role in training teachers who will shape the next generation of Ghanaian citizens.
He also mentioned the Judicial Service’s Justice Clubs initiative, which extends civic and legal literacy programs to schools in several regions.
“When young people understand the law and the institutions that protect their rights, they become more effective participants in democracy,” Justice Ackaah-Boafo said.
Below are excerpts on – JUSTICE BEGINS AT HOME: FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND VALUES FORMATION
I am told that among the students gathered here today are those studying Effective Parenting alongside those studying Contemporary Issues in Ghanaian Law and Negotiation and Dispute Resolution.
This is a remarkable combination, and I do not think it is accidental. The University, in bringing together these disciplines, recognises what any thoughtful observer of society already knows: that the quality of justice in a nation is inseparable from the quality of its families and communities.
The courtroom, as I have said, deals with the consequences of conflicts that have already escalated. It deals with marriages that have broken down, with contracts that have been breached, with trust that has been violated, and with harm that has been inflicted.
By the time a matter reaches the court, the damage is done. The court’s task is to repair what can be repaired, to allocate responsibility, and to enforce the rights that the law protects.
But the question that should concern all of us is what happens before the court becomes necessary. The family is the first institution of justice. It is where a child first encounters the ideas and ideals of fairness, consequence, responsibility, and forgiveness.
When a parent resolves a dispute between children by hearing both sides, that parent is teaching the principle of fair hearing. When a parent enforces consequences consistently and without favouritism, that parent is teaching the rule of law. When a parent forgives a child who has acknowledged wrongdoing, that parent is teaching the possibility of restoration, the idea that relationships can survive breach if the parties are willing to engage honestly with what went wrong.
These early lessons shape the citizens that our democracy will inherit. A child who grows up in a home where disputes are resolved through force learns that power determines outcomes.
A child who grows up in a home where grievances are ignored learns that justice is unavailable. A child who grows up in a home where disagreements are resolved through conversation, accountability, and mutual respect learns that dialogue is both possible and effective.
The patterns established in the family ripple outward through communities and institutions, and they ultimately determine whether a society’s commitment to justice is genuine or merely aspirational.
Article 41 of the Constitution outlines the duties of every citizen, including the duty to uphold and defend the Constitution, to respect the rights and freedoms of others, and to cooperate with lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order.
These duties are not self-executing. They are learned. And the primary sites of learning are the family, the school, and the community. If we want citizens who understand that their rights exist alongside obligations to others, we must invest in the institutions that teach these lessons.
This is where education assumes its critical role. The University of Education, Winneba, occupies a unique position in Ghana’s educational landscape. You are training the teachers who will shape the next generation of Ghanaian citizens.
The values that you carry into your classrooms, the habits of fairness, critical thinking, respectful disagreement, and accountability that you model for your students, will travel through those students into families, workplaces, and communities across the country.
The Judicial Service has recognised this connection through its Justice Clubs initiative,
which extends civic and legal literacy programmes to schools in several regions.
We believe that when young people understand the law and the institutions that protect their rights, they become more effective participants in democracy, not only as potential litigants but as citizens who contribute to the conditions that reduce the need for litigation.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
