Accra, July 28, GNA – Government will soon issue a position paper outlining its response to the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has announced.
The document will set out the Government’s considered position on proposals aimed at strengthening constitutional governance and the administration of justice.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang announced this at the grand durbar marking the climax of the Supreme Court’s 150th anniversary celebration at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
“Government is carefully considering the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and will soon issue and in keeping to our commitment with openness, and constitutional governance, will issue a position paper setting out the government’s considered position,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the Government would approach the process through broad stakeholder engagement to ensure reforms reinforced public confidence in the country’s constitutional order.
“We approach that process in the spirit of partnership guided always by the conviction that constitutional reforms must strengthen public confidence, deepen democratic accountability and preserve the delicate balance upon which our constitutional order rest,” she said.
The Vice President said the Government was encouraged by the attention the Commission had devoted to the administration of justice and reaffirmed its commitment to implementing reforms that strengthened the justice delivery system.
“Government remains committed to working with the leadership of the judiciary, Parliament, Academia, Civil societies, to ensure that reforms advancing the administration of justice receive the careful attention they deserve.”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the Constitutional Review Committee had completed a major national assignment after months of consultations with institutions, citizens and stakeholders across the country and submitted its report to the President.
She commended the Committee for its intellectual contribution and patriotic service, describing constitutional review as a national exercise in reflection rather than merely an amendment of legal provisions.
The Vice President also described the recently enacted Legal Education Act as an important milestone that would help prepare future lawyers for an increasingly complex, technological and interconnected legal environment.
“Ultimately, however, legislation alone cannot transform institutions.
“While laws may give us frameworks, it is the integrity, competence and the quality of public service of our people that enable institutions to commend respect across generations,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the Government regarded strengthening the justice sector as an investment in Ghana’s democratic future and national development, adding that sustaining an effective justice system required continuous collaboration, patience and commitment to the public good.
She said the Supreme Court had, over the past 150 years, played a critical role in maintaining the certainty necessary for democratic governance and economic development.
“Beyond the celebration this anniversary provides the country to think seriously about its future.
“Government believes that a confident democracy requires confident institutions,” she said.
The Vice President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to safeguarding judicial independence and the rule of law.
“Government is committed to work with all stakeholders to preserve the independence of the judiciary, strengthen the administration of justice and maintain the rule of law always within the framework of our Constitution.
“As we commemorate the 150 years of organized Judicial administration in Ghana, let us do so with pride and purpose,” she urged.
The celebration, held on the theme, “Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present and Defining the Future,” attracted the Chief Justices of Sierra Leone and The Gambia, members of the Ghana Bar Association, serving and retired Superior and lower court judges, representatives of law faculties, chiefs and queen mothers, students and members of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Joyce Danso
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