Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and other Justices
The Judicial Service of Ghana has organised a special church service in preparation for the new legal year which begins today.
The church service, which brought together all the Supreme Court justices led by the Chief Justice, Sophia Abena Akuffo and the justices of the Appeals and High Courts, was held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church in Accra.
Also in attendance were the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Gloria Afua Akuffo; President of the Ghana Bar Association, Anthony Forson; and other members of the Bar. They all gathered to praise God for the new legal year.
The Most Rev. Charles Palmer Buckle, Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, who was the Guest Speaker, admonished the judges to work passionately to live a legacy to future generations rather than waiting to see others sacrifice or even die for their comfort.
He therefore urged the judges to roll up their sleeves and put their shoulders to the wheel of Ghana and work towards redeeming their God-given image vocation and mission for humanity.
The Most Rev. Palmer Buckle told the judges to emulate iconic leaders such as the late VCRAC Crabbe, J.H. Mensah, Kofi Annan, among others, who are remembered for their relentless pursuit of excellence and virtues.
He emphasised the need for quality practitioners as that would determine the quality of justice in the country.
He added: “For there to be quality justice delivery first and foremost, there is the need for quality practitioners of justice but most especially there is a need for men and women who fear God. Ghana today needs quality justices of the realm to spearhead justice and righteousness in all our ways.
“Therefore, the Lord God exalts you in the Judiciary at this very crucial era of history and the democratic development of our country Ghana today; let your light so shine before all that they may see your good work and give glory to God the father”.
The Chief Justice, Sophia Abena Akuffo, in a message themed: “Quality Justice Delivery: A Shared Responsibility” said she believes all the judges are inspired by the theme to do all they can to ensure that it lives and breathes in their actions.
“Even as we begin a new legal year and with a new focus, we must not discard the themes of previous years. Quality judges are a never-ending requirement and we must at all times maintain our commitment to the ideal,” she said.
She therefore urged all to ensure that the task of ensuring quality justice is at all times a collective one irrespective of which side of the coin one finds him or herself.
“We may sit in different chairs and places in the courtroom but our duty is a singular one – to ensure that every person who comes to seek justice is given a fair hearing and each case is heard and decided on its merits,” she added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak