The Acting Director of the Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba, has reminded judges of the sacred nature of their calling, describing their role as akin to that of “mini gods” on earth.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana on Wednesday, October 1, Prof. Atuguba stressed that judges are co-participants with God in the administration of justice and must never lose sight of this higher responsibility.
“Being a judge makes you a mini God. There is only one ultimate judge for the world. That judge is ‘Odomankoma’ (translating as God/Creator of the Universe in the Akan language). But ‘Odomankoma’ does not come down from heaven to administer justice on earth. And so he has many gods called judges, who administer justice on earth on his behalf.” he explained.
He cautioned that judges risk undermining their essence when they forget the divine weight of their position.
“The day you forget your role as a mini God, as a co-participant with God in the administration of justice on earth, that day you lose your essence as a judge,” he warned.
He highlighted growing public concerns that what is being presented in Ghana’s courts today is “not law but something else,” and that what emerges is “not justice but something else.” According to him, this erosion of trust threatens the very survival of the judiciary.
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“The day we lose the trust of the people from whom our Constitution says justice emanates, that day we lose our essence. And that day we perish in substance, although the forms of our wigs and flashy clothes and Porsche cars will live on as mere forms,” he cautioned.
Prof. Atuguba further linked this sacred duty to the broader credibility of the judiciary, arguing that once judges deviate from their true role, public trust in justice delivery diminishes.
Prof. Atuguba called on the judiciary to urgently reflect on the true meaning of law, justice, and honour in order to preserve its credibility and the confidence of the Ghanaian people.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
