Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has urged people using the court system not to bribe the judicial service workers in order to receive a favourable trial outcome, as part of efforts to make the judicial system more transparent.
She claimed that corruption and related activities have tarnished the service’s reputation to the point where bribes were expected before a case was handled. The guidance was part of Justice Torkornoo’s Community Sensitization Programme, which focused on the topic of “Improving Justice Delivery through Community Engagement.”
By communicating with the public on a regular basis, she hopes to dispel misconceptions about the judicial system and increase trust in her position as chief justice. Its goal is to build trust and faith in the Judiciary by giving information about what it does at the local and district levels.
It also aims to inform the public about the Service’s Public Complaints Unit and other efforts to improve access to justice and increase transparency. She claimed that there was a whole market built up around the system, with court employees taking money from clients who come to court believing that the money would be given to the trial judge to influence the outcome of their cases.
She explained that many trial judges do not request these funds and might not be aware that their staff had made such a request. The Chief Justice stated that this behaviour was common among some employees and had tarnished the Service’s credibility over time. She urged the general public to assist the Service’s administration by reporting them to law enforcement and the judicial Service.
The Chief Justice announced that the Judicial Service would soon publish a court user guide detailing the responsibilities of each individual court. She also stated that the Service would soon display all Court fees for the various services provided on the grounds to ensure transparency and that they would be made available to the public at all Court facilities.
