Ghana’s Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has issued a strong warning to the public, urging them to refrain from making unauthorized payments to court officials for services provided.
In an effort to promote transparency and accountability within the judicial system, she stated that all court personnel are duly compensated by the government for the services they offer.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Kotobabi District Court in the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly, Greater Accra Region, Chief Justice Torkornoo urged court patrons to resist any requests for unauthorized payments. She specifically highlighted instances where court bailiffs seek payment for transportation or court registrars seek compensation for assisting in document completion.
“If a court bailiff asks you to pay for transport to carry out service on a client, do not pay for his transport. If a Court registrar assists you in filling a court document, do not pay for that,” she stated.
The establishment of the Kotobabi District Court is part of the government’s 100 Courthouses program, which was started in 2020 to improve judicial infrastructure.
The Chief Justice expressed gratitude to the government, especially the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and District Assemblies Common Fund, for providing the funds required to build this advanced court facility.
The Kotobabi District Court is equipped with solar power, a backup generator, male and female cells, staff and court user restrooms, offices for court functions, and a borehole for reliable water supply. Additionally, the facility has a room set aside specifically for Court Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which benefits Kotobabi and the nearby towns.
