By Morkporkpor Anku
Kwesimintsim (W/R), Nov. 15, GNA- Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has inaugurated two separate District Courthouses in Kwesimintsim and Mpohor in the Western Region with a call on the public to stop corrupting court officers.
She said it was better to pay monies into the government chest than putting money into the pockets of any Court officer, adding that corruption and corruption-related activities had buried the image of the Service, making it normal to pay monies before a case could be determined.
Justice Torkornoo gave the advice as part of her Community Sensitisation Programme on the theme: “Improving Justice through Community
Engagement” at two separate events in Kwesimintsim and Mpohor.
The project is part of the nationwide construction of 100 Courthouses programme embarked on by the Government in 2020 to improve judicial infrastructure.
This modern Court facility has adequate office space for the various Court functions, washrooms for Staff and Court Users, Male and Female Cells, Solar power, a standby Generator, a Borehole to provide a sustainable water supply for the washroom and electric fencing to boost security.
The facility has a dedicated space for court-connected ADR.
The initiative is to demystify the work of the Judiciary and inspire confidence in the Office she occupies by directly engaging with the people to always assure them of openness and fairness in justice delivery.
It is to strengthen the trust and confidence of the participants in the Judiciary by providing information on its functions at the Local and District levels.
It is also to educate the people on the existence of the Public Complaints Unit among other interventions by the Service to make justice delivery transparent.
The Chief Justice urged the staff of the Judicial Service, whose work would give meaning to the construction of these courts, to see themselves as ambassadors of the Service and of the very concept of justice itself.
She said most importantly, they must understand that the Judicial Service was a public service, and they were servants of the public and this should impose on them a responsibility to be honest, fair, and transparent in all their dealings with the citizens, who come here to seek justice.
“Let all who come here feel welcome and reassured that the law is here to work for and with them and let no one feel discouraged or reluctant to use the justice delivery institutions,” she added.
She urged them to ensure that they were not only fair and just but were seen by all to be so, so that the people, who patronize Court services would feel confident in seeking redress from the Court and so increase the peace and stability of the country.
“That is the only way in which we can ensure that the justice system operated from this building will achieve the purpose for which the Constitution arranged it,” she said.
The Chief Justice said citizens needed to understand the concept of jurisdiction of Courts before they filed their cases and they needed to understand the law.
She encouraged Court users to adopt the Courts-Connected ADR process in dealing with the cases because it was effective in promoting peaceful co-existing and helps to preserve relationships.
She cautioned those interested in the ADR process not to pay money to any of the mediators, since they have been paid by the government.
She urged Bailiffs not to give citizens the extra burden of paying money to them before, saying that if they were not prepared to work, they could leave the job.
“The Nation deserves better, and l will not hesitate to do away with your service,” she said.
She called on the public to stop paying unnecessary monies and allow the judicial service to serve them better.
The Chief Justice said she had directed all judges and Court Registrars to strike out cases if the people were not coming to Court.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, expressed optimism that the provision of the facility would offer a more conducive working environment, thereby enhancing the promotion of law, order, peace, and stability.
He urged them to assume the position of responsibility and, therefore use the opportunity to demystify the Court system and make it more welcoming to the people by providing quality and swift service.
GNA