Accra,
Nov. 11,
Ghanadot/GNA –
Mrs.
Justice
Georgina
Theodora
Wood,
Chief
Justice,
on
Tuesday
underscored
the need
for the
public
to offer
fair and
constructive
criticisms
that
would
improve
qualitative
justice
and the
rule of
law.
This,
she
said,
would
help
boost
public
confidence
in the
Judiciary.
Mrs.
Justice
Wood
made the
call at
the
launch
of a
180-page
publication
“Manual
on
Election
Adjudication
in
Ghana”,
which
was
published
with
funding
from the
United
Nations
Development
Programme
(UNDP).
Constitutional
provisions
impose
on the
Electoral
Commission
and the
Judiciary
the
onerous
task to
ensure
that
conflicts
and
disputes
arising
out of
election
results
are
amicably
settled.
The CJ
said, it
was for
this
reason
that the
launch
of the
Election
Manual
had been
timely,
adding,
“It is
one of
the
important
initiatives
demonstrating
our
commitment
to the
rule of
law and
the
speedy
and fair
adjudication
of all
electoral
related
disputes.”
She said
the
Manual,
which
was easy
to read
and
digest,
was not
meant
for only
lawyers
and
judges,
but for
civil
society
as well.
“Arming
ourselves
with
information
and
thereby
gaining
a fair
appreciation
of the
litigation
procedures
will
work to
every
stakeholder’s
advantage.”
She
pointed
out that
the
collective
will and
effort
of all
Ghanaians,
genuinely
working
together
towards
transparent
and
credible
elections
was
absolutely
essential
to the
success
of the
upcoming
elections.
Mrs
Justice
Wood
made
reference
to the
recent
election
related
upheavals
in Kenya
at the
beginning
of this
year,
and in
Zimbabwe
in the
middle
of the
year.
For this
reason,
she gave
the
assurance
that the
Judiciary
was
fully
prepared
to
handle,
in an
expeditious,
fair and
effective
manner,
election
disputes
that
might
inevitably
end up
at the
courts,
as a
result
of
grievances
with the
electoral
process.
“I
thought
the
competent
disposal
of cases
could be
achieved
through
a number
of
interventions,
including
the
production
of an
easy-to-read,
concise
handbook
on
election
dispute
adjudication
which
should
serve as
a
helpful
guide to
judges,
lawyers
and
other
stakeholders
to
facilitate
their
effective
participation
in the
process,
hence
the
launch
of this
manual.”
The CJ
intimated
that in
a week’s
time,
all
Court of
Appeal
and High
Court
judges,
as well
as
Registrars,
private
bailiffs
processing
companies
and
other
key
court
staff
would
attend a
two-day
intensive
training
programme
on
election
dispute
adjudication.
Mr Dauda
Toure,
UNDP
Resident
Representative
in
Ghana,
congratulated
the
Judicial
Service
for
coming
out with
the
manual
saying
it would
go a
long way
in
promoting
peace.
Mrs
Eunice
Roberts,
who
represented
the
Electoral
Commissioner,
said the
Electoral
Commission
was
optimistic
that
with the
launch
of the
Manual,
conflicts
and
disputes
that
might
characterize
the
upcoming
elections
would be
minimal.
Mr.
Benson
Nutsukpui,
Executive
member
of the
Ghana
Bar
Association,
expressed
the hope
that the
judicial
Service
would
use the
manual
to
handle
electoral
disputes
in a
decisive
and
prompt
manner.
Mr
Justice
Steve
Allan
Brobbey,
Supreme
Court
Judge
and
Chairman
of the
Judicial
Training
Institute,
chaired
the
function.
Among
dignitaries
present
included
Dr Kwame
Addo-Kufuor,
Minister
of the
Interior,
Alhaji
Malik
Yakubu
Alhassan,
Second
Deputy
Speaker
of
Parliament,
Nana
Ohene
Ntow, Mr
Francis
Agbotse,
Mr
Emmanuel
Wilson,
representing
the New
Patriotic
Party,
National
Democratic
Congress
and
People’s
National
Convention
respectively.
GNA
