Anas scandal: ‘Justice has been wounded’ – Chief Justice

The Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood has lamented the declining credibility of the judicial service saying, “Justice has been wounded in the past week.”

She cited the damning evidence presented by journalist Anas Arimeyaw Anas, which captured some judges and court officials taking bribes, in some cases, to influence judgment.

She reiterated her stance, that none of the judges if found culpable, will be spared.

[contextly_sidebar id=”EKhSve5FxDjOQ7UNzspBIQfpE0Tn0y7k”]According to her, the Judicial Council will ensure that the matter is dealt with decisively.

The Chief Justice, Georgina Theordora Wood was speaking at this year’s Ghana Bar Conference in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

She observed that the judiciary is currently facing a difficult time saying the “time-tested institution is losing face, public confidence and legitimacy.”

Heavy dark shadow

She also lamented that the recent exposé of corruption in the system has “cast a heavy dark shadow on the legal community as a whole, its services, its people and its credibility” adding that it also has also deepened the long-held suspicions on the legal profession in general.”

“These are issues we cannot gloss over, given that the judiciary draws its human resource from the bar.  The general view is that an excellent bar produces an excellent judiciary with the converse being equally true.”

She also advised the judges to adopt a zero tolerance for corruption while admonishing the few incorruptible ones to stand tall among the rest.

Georgina Wood further cautioned the judges who cannot uphold the tenants of the profession to exit the sector.

“I would caution that it is better for serving office holders who know that they can’t handle power along these character traits so constitutionally exacting yet importantly designed to ensure that morality and virtue remain the preeminent character trait for employment does quietly make their exit before the long arm of the law catches up on them.”

She also assured that they will reorganize some of their internal processes and  beef up their supervisory role.

“We will continue, perform, and strengthen our constitutional rule in accordance with the well-known principles of judicial integrity,” she added.

The judiciary is currently undergoing a major shake up after the exposé.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin