Deputy Minister for Justice, Ebo Barton-Odro (second from left) other dignitaries
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ebo Barton-Odro has urged Ghanaians not to do anything that will jeopardize the significant gains the country has so far achieved.
“We have, as people, worked hard to put our democracy on a firm footing. We must continue working for its advancement and consolidation,” he said
Speaking at the opening of a sensitization seminar on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ rights, the Deputy Minister of Justice said “We may belong to different political groups, or might have attended different schools, we however, are essentially Ghanaians with a common destiny. We must not allow these differences to endanger the significant gains we have made in our democratic dispensation,” he said.
Mr. Barton-Odro said the strength of the country’s democracy could help advance the human rights of the people, adding, “We must appreciate and cherish what we have and resolve to guard and protect it.”
“As a country we have opted for a democratic system of governance, the access of which is firmly rooted in the promotion, protection and respect for the fundamental human rights of groups and individuals, we therefore have a responsibility to promote and protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms of our citizenry,” he said.
The Deputy Attorney-General said the country cannot achieve sustainable development when the environment is not convenient for the people to achieve their legitimate aspirations, adding that where individuals or groups feel discriminated against or marginalized, the peace and stability of the nation will be jeopardized.
He said as a founding member of the African Union (AU), Ghana is strongly committed to its ideals and would do all it could to support the organization to realize its objectives.
“We shall therefore not waiver in our commitment to support the African Court on Human and People’s Right realize its objectives.”
Mr. Barton-Oduro said the courts have played and will continue to play a critical role in the protection of individual liberties.
He said the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHARJ) has, in keeping with its constitutional mandate, investigated several complaints on violations of human rights and freedom, abuse of power and unfair treatment of individuals by public officials.
Besides these, he said, they have a number of vibrant civil society organizations which champion the promotion and protection of the right of the marginalized and the vulnerable of society.
The objective of the sensitization seminar on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ rights was to raise public awareness about the court and sensitize would-be applicants on how to access the court and the procedures before the court.
Others include encouraging the public to utilize the court in settling human rights disputes and encouraging the utilization of the court advisory opinions.
African Court on Human and People’s Right (the Court) was established by virtue of Article 1 of the Protocol to the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights on the establishment of an African Court on Human and People’s Right (Protocol). The Protocol was adopted on 9 June 1998 in Burkina Faso and came into force on 25 January.
The Court was established to compliment and reinforce the functions of the Commission in the protection of human and people’s rights in Africa.
By Cephas Larbi