Gertrude Torkornoo, the recently sworn-in Chief Justice, has pledged to use technology to increase the effectiveness of the judiciary.
Only 62% of courts currently use computers as part of their workflow, despite efforts made over the previous 20 years to automate court processes.
After being sworn in at the Jubilee House on Monday, Justice Torkornoo gave her inaugural speech, during which she emphasized the necessity of acquiring electronic devices for recording court documents and creating a networked infrastructure among registries and stakeholders to enable the next level of automation.
“Two decades since tackling the issue of automation, only 62 percent of courts use computers as part of their work. Computerization is only the first process of the automation of court processes. After acquiring electronic devices to capture records of court processes, the registry, and offices of stakeholders must be networked in other to allow for the next level of automation.
“This is a national burden and we are slowed by any sluggishness in the nation’s digitalization drive. Currently, our records show that only 26 percent of courts are networked and only 12 percent of courts have been brought into the bracket of full automation in the operation through the digitalization of their processes.”
Gertrude Torkornoo
After Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah retired in May, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo took over as Chief Justice. On Wednesday, June 7, the Parliament accepted her appointment.
She has held positions at the High Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court, where President Akufo-Addo appointed her in 2019. After Justices Georgina Theodore Wood and Sophia Akuffo, Justice Torkornoo will be the third female Chief Justice in the nation’s history.
“I am well aware that I stand on tall shoulders,” she remarked in her acceptance speech as she acknowledged the achievement of her female predecessors.
Choosing Torkonoo As The Chief Justice Was Easy
Torkornoo was chosen as the nation’s new Chief Justice by President Akufo-Addo, who showed confidence in her managerial skills.
Torkornoo’s credentials and illustrious years of service in the judiciary were noted by President Akufo-Addo during his remarks at the swearing-in ceremony. He claimed that she possesses the attributes required to inspire public confidence in the legal system.
“The choice of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as the 15th Chief Justice was not a particularly difficult one to make in view of her level of qualification, the number of years spent with distinction at the bench, and the superior court of judicature.”
President Akufo-Addo
Since taking office in January 2017, President Akufo-Addo has appointed three people to the position of Chief Justice, the most recent being Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
New Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo was promised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that he will be a “dependable” and “trustworthy” partner in ensuring that the judiciary and administration work cooperatively to firmly establish the rule of law in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo expressed confidence that Justice Torkornoo, who would succeed Justice Kwesi Anin-Yeboah as Ghana’s 15th Chief Justice, will benefit from her more than 19 years of expertise.
He stated that he made this choice because as she had shown from her career “a full grasp of the intricacies” of the country’s judicial system.
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