General News of Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2017-08-02
Justice William Atuguba (L) presenting an award to Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on members of the legal profession to emulate the exemplary leadership qualities of the immediate past Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, and her selfless efforts to nation-building.
Apart from putting in immeasurable efforts in the restoration of confidence in the Judiciary at a time it had sunk to its lowest, he said, the former Chief Justice also acquitted herself diligently by her honest, dedicated and distinguished service to Ghana.
The President said this at a ceremony at which the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) conferred its Legal Profession Lifetime Achievement Award on Mrs Justice Wood.
After 43 years of dedicated public service, Mrs Justice Wood retired as the first female Chief Justice and longest-serving head of the Judiciary.
Lifetime award
The President said it was noteworthy that Mrs Justice Wood had deepened and further acquitted herself well by shouldering and salvaging the image of the Judiciary when that arm of government came under public radar for corruption.
He said her performance ought to ginger up those in the field and those who would join the legal profession to conduct themselves well, adding: “For those of you who are now coming, if you behave well and conduct yourselves well, you may get some of these honours for your work.”
“That must be the inspiration for all of us that if you conduct yourselves well and brighten your corner, live according to principle and ensure excellence and determination in everything you are doing, your peers will recognise and commend you,” he said.
Appointment
President Akufo-Addo recalled that the appointment of Mrs Justice Wood by former President John Agyekum Kufuor was greeted with some murmurings by people who saw the move as unconventional, but her stewardship had proved even her ardent critics wrong.
“President Kufuor was a man noted for taking good decisions. For the eight years that he spent as President, there are many good decisions that he made about appointments and policies and I think his judgement in elevating Mrs Justice Wood to be Chief Justice of our Republic has been fully justified and vindicated,” he said.
Receiving the award, Mrs Justice Wood, the first recipient of the award, expressed her gratitude to the GBA for the award and for its support throughout the 10 years she served as Chief Justice.
She also thanked the Bar for the goodwill she had enjoyed during her legal career, spanning some 43 years.
