The National President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Acheampong Boafo, has described as unacceptable, statement made by a member of the minority in parliament against outgone Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah.
According to him, the association takes exception to the recent unwarranted criticisms and attacks in the media against judges for their decisions. He revealed that per observation, these critics do not acquaint themselves with the judgement before throwing such attacks.
“It is totally unacceptable for a member of the leadership of the minority in parliament, hiding ostensibly under the protection of parliamentary immunity granted by the 1992 constitution, in supporting the motion solely to unanimously approve the nomination of the current Chief Justice to launch an unwarranted attack on the person of the immediate [past] Chief Justice describing such a colossus of a jurist in derogatory terms.
“To wit, ‘under the reign of the outgoing Chief Justice, the level of miscarriage of justice in this country reached a crescendo and must never repeat itself, and the former Chief Justice must know when he goes home, this miscarriage of justice rests on his chest’.”
Yaw Acheampong Boafo
Speaking at event commemorating the 41st anniversary of the gruesome murder of three High Court Judges today, June 30, 2023, Mr Boafo stated that what is worse is when a leader of the Minority Caucus attacked the immediate past Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin-Yeboah, unjustifiably.
Statement by minority on judges scandalous and disturbing
Additionally, Mr Boafo noted that it is more “scandalous and disturbing” when they are done by persons with legal backgrounds, who are conversant with their remedies and options under the law if they disagreed with a decision.
“In the highly volatile partisan environment we unfortunately find ourselves, such a statement was unfortunate and grossly irresponsible and it caused consternation among the rank and file of the GBA, especially when the author of the accusations failed to give particulars of the specific cases or decisions by the immediate past Chief Justice that occasioned the miscarriage of justice and by what scientific tools he used to measure the level of miscarriage of justice under Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah.”
Yaw Acheampong Boafo
Furthermore, the GBA President explained that he is certain the soldiers who carried out the gruesome murder of the martyrs Ghanaians celebrate today, might not have read any of their judgements, yet, persons who were relatively better educated and informed were able to indoctrinate and have them to believe that the judgement of the martyrs were in some way detrimental to the self-interests to warrant such heinous acts.
In light of this, he expressed the need for Ghanaians to be cautious in their utterances.
“I urged us as a people we learn to be circumspect, both in our actions and statements, to ensure that no judge in this country should ever suffer the tragedy and fate of the martyrs we celebrate today.”
Yaw Acheampong Boafo
The ‘Matyrs Day’ marks the commemoration of the killing of Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addo, Justice Fed Poku Sarkodie and Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong in 1982.
It will be recalled that the Minority suspended a decision on the appointment of Justice Torkornoo as Chief Justice on the Appointments Committee with the pretext that the members were awaiting her decision in the case.
The Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, during the vetting of the new Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, expressed hope that Justice Torkonoo would excel in her role as compared to her predecessor.
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