Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has asked the Judicial Service Staff Association(JUSAG)to embrace competence, diligence, and integrity to boost the confidence of the public in the judiciary.
“If we as an arm of government, we in the Judicial Service and Judiciary, are to boost the confidence of the public in this institution, we must embrace competence, diligence and integrity as our distinguishing character.”
The Chief Justice also tasked JUSAG to imbibe and infuse these ethical values in the work culture of the service through the holding of symposia, workshops, learning groups and even gaming competitions.
Chief Justice Torkornoo said when she launched JUSAG’s 50-year anniversary, logo, and anniversary cloth at the Law Court Complex in Accra.
The 50 anniversary is themed “50 Years of Championing Judicial Excellence: Embracing Integrity, digitization, and upholding Judicial independence and Staff Welfare.
JUSAG was formed at Cape Coast in 1973.
The launch brought together Justices of the Superior and lower courts, former JUSAG presidents and other executives, the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, and the Trades Union Congress, among others.
Justice Torkornoo also encouraged every member of staff to read, study and ensure compliance with the code of ethics, adding as “champions in the justice delivery chain, compliance with every code of conduct is paramount.
She told the staff that the coming years would be exciting and urged them to embrace digitization, legal literacy, professionalism, and ethical conduct to maintain excellence because that was the only hallmark of an efficient justice administration.
Justice Torkornoo said the judiciary was up-scaling its electronic justice (e-Justice), adding ” We are moving from just having computers for typing and printing in most courts in the country.
We are going e-filing and e-payment for court services, e-service of court processes, the management of e-dockets, virtual hearings of cases and stocking and management of e-judgements through e-library.
We are also working on administrative services that will also be digitized.”
She advised the over 7,000 staff of the service to get on board the digitization drive, adding technology has come to stay.
On staff welfare, the Chief Justice said that has been on her radar.
This, she said, was the reason the Quality Assurance Unit of the service was critically looking at the data from the courts to rationalize the case loads of courts and the burden of work.
Justice Torkornoo said improved service for members must be always supported by law and asked JUSAG to become a thin tank that would delve deep into intellectual engagement to bring out “functionally and validated arrangements to secure the welfare of staff.
She said the Constitutional Instrument which would comprehensively deal with condition of service was well advanced and the Judicial Council is keeping “an eagle eye over the process to bring it to fruition.”
Chief Justice Torkornoo pledged her unflinching support to JUSAG and urged the leadership of the service to conscientize staff to live up to the standards of their work.
Justice Gabriel Pwamang, a Supreme Court Judge, who chaired the occasion, urged JUSAG members to accept the challenge to work effectively as the Judicial Service rolled out e-justice across the country.
Justice Pwamang lauded the idea of rewarding staff who distinguished themselves in the various regions.
Mr Samuel Afotey Otu, President of JUSAG, noted that JUSAG over the years had evolved and grown, adding “We have embraced innovation and modernization to better the people of Ghana.”
The JUSAG President said the association has planned a series of events and activities such as lectures, media engagement, sports, and health walks among others in the regions.
“We have planned to work with my Lady to give integrity awards to at least one staff from each region and overall integrity of the service. This will be done at the climax of the anniversary scheduled to take place in August2024 at Cape Coast, the birth town of JUSAG.”
Dr Yaw Baah, Trades Union Congress Secretary General, commended the JUSAG and the Judiciary for working hard to protect the rights of workers over the years.
According to Dr Baah, the establishment of the Labour Court had played a key role in protecting the rights of workers and organised unions when it comes to dispute resolutions in the country