Mrs Georgina Wood, the Chief Justice on Thursday sworn seven circuit court judges into office in Accra. The Chief Justice administered the oath of allegiance, judicial oath and the oath of secrecy to the new judges.
The newly sworn in judges were Michael Abbey, Bernard Bentil, Baptist K. Filson, and Afia N. Adu-Amankwa. The rest were Kofi Ametewe, Abigail Asare and Alexander Graham.
Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, the Judicial Secretary said the new judges were appointed after going through competitive and rigorous recruitment process. He said the judges including other candidates were made to write examination, followed by an interview and those who excelled were chosen.
He commended them for their hard work and urged them to work to promote justice. Mrs Georgina Wood, the Chief Justice said the new judges deserved their appointment after going through rigorous recruitment process and advised them to bear in mind that justice could only be rendered according to law and not other considerations.
“The administration of justice is not about knowing anybody but the enforcement and protection of legal rights and interest of litigants vested in the law and it is about due process,” she said.
She said justice was not anchored on friendship, kinship or fellowship but on the law and urged judicial officers to apply the law impartially, giving each person who appeared before them a free and unprejudiced hearing.
She advised judges not to engage in the conduct that would dent their integrity, adding that any conduct that was inimical to the judicial service would not be tolerated. “Being independent does not mean that members of the Judiciary have free rein to do as they please as the judiciary must be accountable to the sovereign people of Ghana on whose behalf they exercise judicial power,” she said.
Mrs Georgina Wood advised the new judges to serve the nation with all their heart and soul as the oath of allegiance required such commitment.
Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah Oppong, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General urged the judges to conduct themselves well and also to be impartial in their decision making.
She urged family members of the new judges to lessen their pressure especially the financial ones on the judges as that could compel them to compromise on their work.
Mr Stephen Abuma, the Chief of Justice of Uganda who is on a visit to Ghana with his delegation urged the new judges to have people in mind as justice emanated from them.