There has not been a single case filed at the newly- established financial courts in the country since they were opened eight months ago, Chief Justice Georgina T. Wood, has declared.
She said the judiciary in pursuance of the Financial Administration Act 2003 (Act 654) established two financial administrative courts in Accra and one in Kumasi, one each in Sekondi and Tamale as a division of the High Court in accordance with Article 139(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 14(3) of the Court Act 1993, Act 459.
However, Justice Wood said, �The courts were opened for business on March 3, 2014. No case has yet been filed in any of these courts.�
The Chief Justice made this statement when she addressed a gathering of stakeholders in the judiciary at the 7th Annual Chief Justice�s Forum held in Accra on the theme: �Integrity: The Key to Effective Justice Delivery�.
Commenting on claims from some quarters that financial and organised crime have become more sophisticate now and so the establishment of specialised courts were needed she said, �Let us not contend that without specialised courts nothing can be achieved.�
The Chief Justice assured citizens that the judiciary have capable men and women who can deliver effective justice with integrity as related to organised crime including financial crimes that emanate from the recommendations of the public accounts committee and the Auditor-General�s report.
�Our call on the relevant agencies is this; invoke our jurisdiction by filling the appropriate charges provide the relevant evidence and the witnesses available in court and with God�s help we shall deliver on our mandate,� she added.
Charge To Judiciary Her Ladyship Justice Georgina T. Wood also charged the judiciary to break the cycle of dishonesty, impunity, corruption and incompetence.
She said because of the role the judiciary played in law enforcement, especially in the administration of justice, �we really have no option but to serve the people in integrity, more importantly we must be prepared to suffer the ultimate punishment if we are found guilty of any misconduct.� She said judicial integrity was the most critical value in justice delivery and urged the judges to commit themselves to reversing the downward trend.
�A lot can be done to save ourselves from disgrace and our dear country from degradation,� she said. Nene A. O Amegatcher, President of the Ghana Bar Association and Chairperson for the event, stressed the need to maintain integrity in delivering legal services to their clients.
He said, �The aim of the forum is to arrange among other things, gather relevant information for an indepth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the justice judicial system to develop strategies and ensure the effective and efficient administration of justice.�
The forum would also help the judiciary work with stakeholders to identify and assign responsibilities to all parties present towards the achievement of a justice delivery system that has integrity as its bedrock .
Professor Philip Ebow Bonzi- Simpson, Barrister and Solicitor, Professor of Law and Founding Dean, Faculty of Law University of Cape Coast, in his submission observed that the issue of integrity should be addressed holistically, taking into consideration the personal integrity of personnel of the judiciary, integrity of the process of administration of justice and also the barriers hindering access to justice.
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