Judicial Service Gets Tough On Staff Who Extort Money From Litigants2 min read

The Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, is urging the public to report Judicial Service staff who demand money under the pretext of using the same to secure judgment in their favour or any kind of help from a Judge.

Justice Torkornoo said judges do not demand money from litigants to perform their roles, adding that some Court staff use such means to exploit unsuspecting court users.

The Chief Justice was interacting with members of the Kraboa Coaltar in the Ayensuano District, in the Eastern Region, on the Chief Justice’s Community Sensitisation Program.

It was a community sensitisation forum with residents of Kraboa Coaltar in the Ayensuano district of the Eastern region. The program focused on improving Justice Delivery through Community Engagement and educating the public on the existence of the Public Complaints Unit, among other interventions by the Service to make justice delivery transparent. Participants were also educated on Court-Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The chief justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, said anyone who has a complaint about the work of a registrar, clerk, judge, or any court staff should report it to the Judicial Service for prompt action.

There have been reports of the Judiciary sanctioning some Court officials for requesting and receiving cash from litigants and engaging in criminal acts in favour of such persons.

The Chief Justice said that as part of measures to make the public understand the work of the Judiciary, a courts’ user guide, which details the jurisdictions of the various courts, will be made public. She said the fees for the various services would also be posted on the premises of every court. This is to ensure transparency and prevent staff from demanding more than the official fees.

The sensitisation program took place in six communities: Baatsona, Ada, and Kwabenya, in Greater Accra.

Other communities are New Abirem, Akwatia, and Kraboa Coaltar in the Eastern Region. They will be replicated across the 16 regions of the country. The programme coincides with the inauguration of Courts in the selected districts.

By Barbara Kumah