Eighteen Career Magistrates were sworn in by Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Georgina T. Wood, in Accra yesterday with a call on them to strongly resist advances from the litigating public who would attempt to compromise their integrity.

Justice Wood noted that integrity was a key judiciary value which,  when compromised, would erode public confidence in the Judiciary and the citizenry, whose liberties and rights they had vowed to protect  and defend, would be left to their own devices in their quest for Justice. 

The two-year Career Magistrate programme was established by the Judicial Service and run by the Ghana Law School to train non- lawyers as career magistrates to help in the adjudication of justice in the country. 

The Chief Justice advised them to eschew corruption and stressed that in corruption cases, “the giver is as guilty as the receiver, and when it comes to the crunch, understandably, it is the public servant receiver who faces the law.” She told the newly trained Career Magistrates to remember at all times that her office was always available to provide the necessary interventions when matters seemed to be completely getting out of hand. 

Therefore, the war of words between them and counsel or litigants and the misuse of their coercive powers should be the last weapon they should deploy in the court room. “I sincerely believe if we showed due courtesy to the Bar and others who appear before us, we will receive the same just treatment from them”, she added.  

In order to monitor their progress and performance, Chief Justice Wood stated that a scheme has been instituted whereby senior members of the bench would study and evaluate judgments in the lower courts.  She added that the Judicial Service was ready to ensure that the career magistrates upgrade their knowledge of the law and professional skills through continuing Judicial training programmes. 

Justice Wood therefore hoped that each one of them would be able to make a significant contribution to the Ghana Judiciary. Professor A.K. Kludze, Director of the Career Magistrate Programme, noted that the programme involved a rigorous academic and practical work, but its success depended largely on the magistrates in terms of conduct, performance and decisions.  Source: Judicial Service