The foundations of Ghana are under pressure due to delayed cases, land guards, mob justice and justice perceived as only for the rich, Right Reverend Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto, Anglican Bishop of Accra, has said.
“Our foundations are under pressure. Delayed cases, land guards, mob justice, and some people say justice is for the rich,” he said.
Right Rev. Dr Torto made the remarks at a special church service to mark the opening of the 69th Legal Year at the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Accra.
The theme for the Legal Year is: “Strengthening the Foundations of Justice through Leadership, Innovation and Technology,” which brought together judges of the Superior and Lower Courts, lawyers and staff of the Judicial Service.
Right Rev. Dr Torto said just as a building was only as strong as its foundation, the justice system required strong foundations to function effectively.
He said Ghana needed “righteous leaders and courageous leadership” rather than merely more lawyers, adding that leadership was the moral foundation of justice.
“We need righteous leadership that can give us justice,” he said.
He said servant leadership was also critical to the justice system, which must serve vulnerable groups, including market women, people who could not afford lawyers and remand prisoners who did not know their fate.
On the need for reforms, Right Rev. Dr Torto said innovation could help address persistent challenges in the justice system.
“Why should a land case be in court for years? Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, citing Court Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), plea bargaining and specialised courts as examples of innovations already introduced.
He, however, said more needed to be done, including a shift from “technical justice” to “substantive justice.”
“Let us not allow a murderer to go free because of a comma that was missing in the presentation when the law is clear,” he said.
He said innovation should also improve access to justice, stressing that justice should not only be experienced at the Supreme Court but also at the district courts and police cells.
“My Lords, the people are crying for innovation that makes justice faster, cheaper and kinder,” he said.
Right Rev. Dr Torto said technology had improved the justice system through e-filing, virtual courts, electronic transcription and case tracking.
He said such innovations could reduce corruption, delays and lost dockets while improving transparency.
“Technology is a tool and not a master. It is a servant, not a failure,” he said.
He noted that technology had helped sustain Ghana’s justice system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Right Rev. Dr Torto reminded the judiciary and the legal profession that Ghana’s justice system was an extension of God’s justice and that judges and lawyers were ultimately accountable for their actions.
“As we start this legal year, the bench must lead with courage and the fear of God. To the Bar, innovate for the people, not just for fees,” he said.
He urged members of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana to embrace technology while safeguarding their integrity.
He called on all stakeholders to act justly, love God and allow justice to “flow like a river” in Ghana.
GNA
