The Appeal Court judges swearing the Oath of Office
President Akufo-Addo yesterday swore in five new Appeals Court judges.
They were Justices Nicholas Charles Abbey Agbevor, Alex Berchie Poku-Acheampong, Anthony Kwadwo Yeboah, Merley Afua Woode and Ama Abuakwaa Gaisie.
At a short but well-attended ceremony at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo charged members of the judiciary to fully support the office of the Special Prosecutor in the fight against corruption.
He believes that would ensure accountability of public officials – past and present – who engage in acts of corruption and financial malfeasance.
With the recent exposé of judicial corruption by Anas Aremeyaw Anas – where some judges were caught collecting bribe, despite the reforms undertaken by the former Chief Justice, Georgina Wood to restore some dignity to the judiciary – President Akufo-Addo reminded the judges that their actions and strict application of the laws of the land would help in the fight against corruption.
“The judiciary has exclusive jurisdiction in all matters of the breach of the law, civil and criminal, including matters relating to the interpretation and enforcement of the constitution. It has that onerous responsibility to protect the individual liberties and fundamental human rights of citizens to act as the arbiter in disputes between the state and the citizens to act as the arbiter in disputes between citizens and to serve as the bulk for the promotion of the orderly development of our nation and for the defence of the liberties and rights of the citizens,” he told the judges.
President Akufo-Addo said “the growth of the nation demands that there is a judiciary that commands the respect of the people by the nature of its delivery of justice, as well as the comportment of its judges.”
According to him, “It is vitally important that we have judges, who are honest, possess integrity and a sound knowledge of the law.”
He insisted that “the application of the laws of the land must be manifested in the words of judicial oath without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and therefore, without recourse to the political, religious or ethnic affiliation of any citizens of the land. When you fall foul of the law, we expect that you must be dealt with accordingly, including you at the Appeals Court.”
President Akufo-Addo stressed his determination to build a new Ghanaian civilization, “where the rule of law is not a slogan but an operating principle to the development of our state, where the separation of powers is real and meaningful, where public officials behave with honesty and integrity.”
Justice Merley Afua Woode thanked the president for the confidence reposed in them, and promised to uphold the tenets of justice at all times.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent