A justice nominee of the Supreme Court, Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, has said that even a slightest loss of public confidence in Ghana’s judiciary is not good for the institution and the administration of justice.
Although she questioned data that have been released indicating corruption in the judiciary, she indicated that loss of confidence in the judiciary is not a good situation.
“Even the slightest of loss of confidence in the judiciary is not good,” she told the Appointments Committee of Parliament during her vetting on Tuesday October 18.
She further explained that people are unable to distinguish between judges, staff of the courts and others who play a role in the judicial system when corruption allegations are made.
“Where allegations are made against the judiciary, a lot of people are not able to distinguish between the judges, staff and other stakeholders.
“The [corruption] data as I know it is not accurate,” she said.
The Afrobarometer report for 2-22 released by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) listed the judges and magistrates among the top five considered most/all are involved in corruption.
The report said Police 65%; Presidency 55%; Members of Parliament 54%; Judges and magistrates 46%; and Tax Officials 46%.
“What is particularly worrying is the fact that, in the history of the Afrobarometer survey, there was a time (Round 2, 2002) in which only 11% perceived the presidency to be corrupt and 21% perceived members of parliament to be corrupt.
“The combined picture of low trust and high perceptions of corruption among institutions presents a challenge to our march towards democratic consolidation,” the report released On Tuesday, 26th July 2022 said.