Chief Justice launches blueprint to transform judiciary

 The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, on Monday launched an initiative dubbed ‘Leading Justice’, a strategic framework for increasing legality, ethics, assets, digitalisation and due process in justice delivery.

It is the first time a Chief Justice has launched such initiative to enhance quality delivery of justice nationwide.

Justice Torkornoo said her vision was to bring justice to the people using technology and digi­talisation.

• Vice President Bawumia (middle) and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo (fourth from left) with other dignitaries after the launch Photo: Seth Osabukle

She was joined by the Vice Pres­ident, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah, President of the Ghana Bar As­sociation, Mr Yaw Acheampong Boafo, superior and lower court judges, private legal practitioners, chiefs, students from the universi­ties, and students from the Ghana School of Law.

The Chief Justice paid glowing tribute to her predecessors and said she would work to improve on what they built.

Justice Torkornoo said there was the need to expedite the national digitalisation agenda to allow for easier networking of all stakehold­ers.

She asked for increased budget­ary allocations to the judiciary to expand infrastructure in the auto­mation and digitalisation agenda.

“There is a need to increase the budget of the judiciary to allow us room to expand our infrastructure in the automation and digitalisa­tion agenda, because undoubtedly, the efficiency of court processes and administration is assured with more deliberate use of technolo­gy.”

Again, Justice Torkornoo said there was the need to increase “our budget to make learning, library and operational resources available to all judges and staff in order to enhance the speed with which both judicial and admin­istrative decisions are made and communicated to stakeholders.”

Touching on accountabilty, the Chief Justice said the judiciary should make itself accountable by increasing transparency in the process and output of judgments and decisions through real time publications of decisions, especial­ly when it comes to decisions on land ownership, and other areas of law that affect the economy and social stability of the country.

She said the judiciary would harness the attention of external stakeholders in the justice delivery relay, for improving excellence in their own services, in order that they do not compromise the quali­ty of justice.

The Chief Justice said the external stakeholders include auc­tioneers, valuers, surveyors, bailiff services, lands commission, and other registries for assets which invariably become relevant in the cross hairs of litigation.

“As Chief Justice, therefore, I wish to express my determination to relentlessly seek the support of the legislature in matters of the budget of the judiciary and the support of both the executive and legislature for accelerated infrastructure in technology, and for innovative models of doing business with technology.”

The Vice President, Dr Bawumia said the impetus, focus, dynamism of the Chief Justice would culminate in efficient justice delivery.

The Vice President touted the electronic track system launched in 2018 as a major component of the Chief Justice’s blue print.

He said digitalisation played an important role in dealing with the fight against corruption.

For instance, Dr Bawumia said that digitalisation helped the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to save GH¢480 million by the elimination of 29,000 ghost names.

Mr Dame described Justice Tor­kornoo as “a bold and innovative leader.”

He said efficient justice delivery was an incentive for investment.

 BY MALIK SULLEMANA