1 week ago
16 ARTICLE AD
The re-establishment of district and regional tribunals is not to usurp the power of the courts, but rather involve the citizenry in the dispensation of justice in their communities. Attorney General and Minister of Justice-designate, Dr Dominic Akurintinga Ayine, has said.
He said Article 125(1) of the constitution stated that justice emanates from the people and shall be administered in the name of the Republic by the judiciary which shall be independent and subject only to this constitution, while article 125 (1) demands that there must be participation by automatic people in the dispensation of justice.
The nominee stated that the effective establishment of the regional tribunals would complement the roles of the High Court as well as improve security in all the districts.
He said these when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday.
Dr Ayine told the Appointments Committee that not only would the tribunals dispense justice, they would also be regulated through a Public Tribunals Act which will be comprehensive as well as contain restrictions in terms of the conduct of the affairs of the tribunals and the human rights violations.
Dr Ayine indicated that the primary value of the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) was supposed to exact accountability from politically-exposed persons holding public office who used or misused their office to loot public resources by way of property, money and other intangible resources.
He said even though “it is a non-legal body doesn’t mean that it is illegal there’s a distinction between non-legality and illegality as such re-establishing of course would be governed by the constitution and I believe that there will be limitations to the powers of the platinum.”
The nominee said an in-house investigative team would be set up to receive and furnish his outfit with information that would help unearth corrupt practices and urged the citizenry with any information to assist his outfit speed up its work.
He said even though he served as lead counsel for the ECG and other institutions, he had withdrawn his services to take up the current appointment and also filed his tax returns.
“Some of the cases pending have been handed over to the chamber while those I was not directly handling have been handed to a team of lawyers to take charge of,” he added.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
