Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has underscored the importance of digitalization in justice delivery in Ghana.
This was after he launched the ‘LEADing Justice’, a strategic framework of the vision of Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, for the Judiciary and the Judicial Service, on Monday, April 8.
Dr Bawumai said at the event that it was refreshing to note that one of the key components of LEADing Justice, is digitalization.
Digilsations, eha added, is crucial to the advancement of the judicial system and the delivery of justice in Ghana.
“Having launched the Electronic Case Tracking System for the criminal justice sector in 2018 and also witnessing the positive impact the e-justice system, which was launched a year later, is having on the administration of justice, I am delighted that digitalization is a key component of this strategic vision of the Chief Justice,” he said.
He assured the Chief Justice of government’s continuous commitment to supporting the judiciary, and I also urged other stakeholders to support the Chief Justice, in her quest for continuous transformation of the judicial system.
For her part, the Chief Justice said “steps are being taken to revert to the opening and closure of assizes, which ensured that jurors remained with the judiciary for only a short season.”
“The current situation where one juror can be attached to the courts for years, leaving their full-time work for long periods, and earning from both institutions through the same public purse, needs to be seriously deconstructed.”
She noted that the judiciary “contemplates” securing the services of a private sector jury to ensure the success of the initiative.
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“In order to do so effectively, this vision contemplates the engagement of the private sector in jury services, as is the situation in virtually every country.”
In this regard, Justice Torkornoo asked for the “cooperation of the private sector” in implementing the strategies, adding, “because we need to increase the ethical contents of integrity and efficiency in criminal justice delivery.”
She further maintained that the initiative is geared towards eradicating unethical attitudes in the administration of justice in the country.
“Judicial administration must close the gaps through which court users are subjected to exploitation and rent-seeking behaviour.”
“This demands the removal of as much of the human inter-facing that court work is exposed to. Court officials are expected to work with independence, with impartiality, competence, and integrity,” she stated.