Accra, Sept. 30, GNA – The Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) has appealed to the Government to create conditions that will enable its members to perform their constitutional mandate effectively while maintaining a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives.
“I call upon all stakeholders to create conditions that will enable magistrates and judges to perform their constitutional mandate effectively while maintaining the balance necessary for healthy and fulfilling lives,” Justice Olivia Obeng Owusu, President of AMJG, said on Wednesday.
She was speaking at the 45th Annual General Meeting of the AMJG in Accra, on the theme: “Balance Beyond the Bench: Harmonising Duty, Justice and Life.”
Justice Owusu said if judges were to harmonise duty, justice and life, they must be given the necessary protection and support to discharge their responsibilities effectively and independently.
“The support and protection must take the following forms: improved working conditions, adequate logistical resources, decent accommodation, timely payment of allowances, sufficient staffing support, and effective measures to protect judges and magistrates from threats and undue attacks,” she said.
“Structures for judicial wellness must also be created. True balance is impossible if judges and magistrates are poorly supported.”
The President of AMJG said the theme for the conference spoke directly to a challenge confronting many members of the Judiciary, particularly how to maintain a healthy balance between the demands of judicial duty and the realities of personal life.
“Is it possible to reconcile the demands of judicial duty, the administration of justice and family life without addressing the conditions in which judges discharge their responsibilities?” she asked.
Justice Owusu said achieving such a balance required supportive working conditions, adequate resources and respect for judges’ personal and family lives.
She said the demands of judicial service were immense, and that while the public often saw only the final judgment, few appreciated the immense pressures that accompanied judicial service.
Magistrates and judges, she noted, discharged their duties with distinction under difficult circumstances, driven by a deep commitment to justice and service to the nation
Justice Owusu observed that across the country, magistrates and judges continued to face significant resource constraints.
“Many lack official vehicles to facilitate their work. Some bungalows that were intended to provide decent accommodation for judges have deteriorated and require urgent renovation,” she said.
“Various allowances essential to the performance of judicial functions remain unpaid or delayed.”
The President of AMJG said equally concerning was the absence of financial clearance to enable magistrates and judges to engage supporting staff, even though their conditions of service entitled them to do so.
“These have placed additional burdens on members who are already carrying heavy caseloads.”
“At this point, I respectfully appeal for the review of the salaries and conditions of service of judges of the lower bench to be expedited in recognition of the demanding nature of their duties.”
Delving into the realities that AMJG members faced outside their workplaces, Justice Owusu cited attacks on social media.
“Decisions made in the course of duty quickly find their way onto social media. The judge’s integrity is questioned, and his or her family is brought into it,” she said.
While constructive criticism of judicial decisions was a legitimate feature of democratic discourse, “personal and physical attacks and attempts to vilify magistrates and judges for performing their duties undermine public confidence in the justice system and threaten judicial independence,” she noted.
Justice Owusu commended the Judiciary for its prompt intervention following the attack on the Kwame Danso District Court.
“The swift response to this disturbing incident demonstrated a firm commitment to the protection of the Judiciary and the safety of judicial officers and staff.”
She said the Association had taken note of the government’s approval for 100 per cent of internally generated funds to be allotted to the Judicial Service.
“We remain hopeful that the areas requiring further attention will receive the necessary consideration.”
The AMJG presented awards to 11 of its members who had retired.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Joyce Danso
[email protected]