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The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, has cautioned judges against the arbitrary use of power and the temptation to soil their hands with corruption. She said as fountains of justice who should uphold judicial integrity, under no circumstance, however tempting, should judges compromise on their integrity and independence. She also reminded them that the constitutional protections they enjoyed were not intended to feed their egos and their pride or provide them with comfort or assist them to establish kingdoms for themselves. �It is important that you bear in mind at all times that constitutional guarantees, including security of tenure, are intended to protect and assure institutional and substantive independence of the Judiciary,� she emphasised. Justice Wood was speaking at the swearing-in of three High Court and nine Circuit Court judges at the Supreme Court in Accra yesterday. She urged the judges to extend courtesies to all who appeared before them, high or low, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, and added that civility had never been a sign of weakness but rather strength of character. The High Court judges are Mr Justice Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, Mrs Hannah Taylor and Mrs Hafisata Amaleboba. The Circuit Court judges are Mr Emmanuel Ayesu Essampong, Mr Frederick Tetteh, Mr F. A. W. K. Nawurah, Ms Mariam Saleh Sinare, Mrs Cynthia Wiredu, Mr Kwame Polley, Mrs Roberta E. Otriso, Mr Frank A. Rockson and Mrs Rita Abrokwah Doko. Uphold your integrity Justice Wood said there was increasing demand from the people, and justifiably so, for greater transparency and accountability on the part of public officers in the exercise of their powers and functions. She said there was a common perception that some judges and magistrates were intoxicated by the awesome judicial powers they exercised by virtue of the Constitution and ended up as despots. �Your new positions require that you observe proper conduct and avoid all forms of impropriety,� she said, and underlined that integrity was the most critical factor in good governance and national development. She said to make judges optimise their full judicial potential and excel, for them to be committed to true justice to all, without fear or favour, the Constitution contained independence and accountability safeguards and guarantees. The President of the Ghana Bar Association, Nene A. O. Amegatcher, told the judges that their position was a noble and religious one and, therefore, they needed to see their careers as a calling. Bail The President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, Mr Justice Dennis D. Agyei, advised the judges against the abuse of judicial discretion, particularly in injunctive applications and bail.