Judiciary Ready To Resolve Intellectual Property Disputes - CJ

The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina T. Wood, has expressed the Judiciary�s readiness to resolve disputes on Intellectual Property and Patent Rights in science, technology and innovation in the country. However, she stressed the need for capacity building for judges so that they could be abreast with issues on the laws on Intellectual Property and Patent Rights. Mrs Justice Wood made the observation when a seven-member delegation participating in a three-day Strategic Future Leader�s Public Lecture and Conference 2011 from June 23-26, paid a courtesy call on her in Accra. The delegation included Dr Amos Sawyerr, Former Interim President of Liberia, Mr Justice Lovemore Green Munlo, Chief Justice of Malawi, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders Group, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament and Mr Paul Boateng, a Diplomat and Legal Practitioner. The delegation is among participants attending the Conference on the theme: �Law Making and Policy Formulation: The Impact on Youth Development.� The participants would also discuss� Harnessing the Potential of the Youth in Oil and Gas, ICT and Agric-business industries: key issues�. The Chief Justice said the Judiciary has a crucial role to play in the development of skills of the youth by adjudicating on matters concerning Intellectual Property and Patent rights, and noted that the two issues have not received much attention hence discouraging innovation by the youth. She decried the increasing large number of the youth languishing in the country�s prisons whose skills were untapped. The Chief Justice noted that youth who found themselves in the country�s prisons could be trained in various fields of endeavours to accelerate national development. Mr Boateng on behalf of the delegation tasked governments in Africa to marshal more funds to support the development of science, technology and innovation. He said the development of science, technology and innovation would enable youth participate in the building of the African economy. Mr Justice Munlo lauded the role of the Future Leaders Group for assisting government to come up with policies. Dr Sawyerr said development of the youth in Africa was crucial, saying ountries were at risk of losing the youth if efforts were not doubled to develop their skills. Mr Dei-Tumi pleaded with the Judiciary to come out with correctional methods for the youth in the country�s prisons.