Members of the legal fraternity yesterday gathered at the Calvary Baptist Church, Shiashi, in Accra, in commemoration of the 42nd anniversary of the abduction and killing of three Justices of the High Court and a retired Army officer.
The major issues that were touched on this year evolved around the need to end the needless politicisation of the Judiciary in the country and the need for peace before, during and after the December 7 General Elections.
Justice Fred Poku Sarkodee, Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, and Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, all judges of the High Court, and Major Sam Acquah, a retired army officer, were abducted from their respective homes on June 30, 1982, and brutally murdered.
Their bodies were soaked with petrol and set on fire but a heavy downpour that night quenched the burning bodies.
However, the charred bodies had deteriorated into a state of decomposition when they were found.
Since then, June 30 of every year is observed as Martyrs Day by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the Judicial Service with a series of events in memory of the judges.
Present at a church service to mark the day this year were the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame and his deputies – Alfred Tuah-Yeboah and Diana Asonaba Dapaah; President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo.
Also present were national executives of the Ghana Bar Association, judges, lawyers, staff of the judiciary, law students and others from all walks of life.
The church service was preceded by the laying of a wreath at the erected busts of the judges at the forecourt of Supreme Court by the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, the GBA President and families of the murdered judges.
The clergymen took turns to pray for the Bar and the Bench as well as families of the victims.
Politicisation of Judiciary
President of the GBA, Yaw Acheampong Boafo in an address called for an end to the politicisation of Ghana’s judiciary, stating no judge is appointed based on their political affiliation as it is not a requirement.
“There is no training module at the judicial training school known as NPP judge, NDC judge, CPP judge for anyone to tag a judge as NPP, NDC, and CPP. There is only one judiciary established in Chapter 11 of the 1992 Constitution,” he stated.
He continued that “we must spare the judiciary our divisive partisanship. It is sad that public commentary relative to cases of public interest pending in court has taken on political colouration.”
“I want to place on record that at no stage of the interview and evaluation courses of an appointment to any level of the judiciary is the political affiliation or leanings of an applicant a requirement,” he added.
Mr. Boafo also called on the government and management of the judiciary to enhance the security of judges at all levels, making reference to the recent shooting of a Magistrate at a court in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
Useful Lessons
Mr. Boafo also indicated that June 30, 1982 has become a blot on conscience of the country, and urged the public to draw useful lessons from the incident.
“This should serve as a constant reminder that intolerance and political vigilantism should not be tolerated and has no place on our democracy,” he said.
He bemoaned the level of violence that characterised the limited voter registration and vote transfer exercises last month, and the negative impressions these cases of violence could have on the country.
Mr. Boafo said it is the collective responsibility of all not to create fertile grounds through their actions for vigilantism and lawlessness.
He also encouraged the youth to engage in activities that would improve their lives and the lives of their families rather than put them in danger.
“To the youth who are invariably exploited and manipulated by some political actors, I urge you to be purposeful in life. Channel your energy into meaningful ventures and not be misled by unscrupulous politicians to engage in acts that destabilise our nation,” he said.
Ethical Standards
The immediate past denominational board Chairman of the Ghana Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Fred P. Deegbe, in a sermon based on the book of Isaiah 33:20-22 urged the lawyers to use the occasion to renew and re-dedicate to the virtues of high ethical standards and integrity in their bid to contribute to the growth of the nation
He further urged them to address corruption through a multifaceted approach involving legal, ethical, and institutional reforms.
“We must be seen to be committed to justice over personal and parochial interest,” he added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak