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Chief Justice Wood urges courts not to
waste time on civil cases
Zebilla (UE/R), Dec. 5 Ghanadot/GNA - Chief Justice Georgina
Theodora Wood, on Wednesday directed that the courts should
not try civil cases but rather leave that to the Chiefs,
elders, Pastors and Imams.
She said the courts needed to speed up their work and should
not be hindered by civil cases that could easily be handled
outside the courtroom.
Mrs. Justice Wood gave the directive when she commissioned a
District Court at Zebilla, built by the Bawku West District
Assembly at a total cost GH¢93,500 in the Upper East Region.
She said the public was entitled to quality justice
delivered in good time.
"It is the mission of the Judicial Service to promote the
smooth and efficient administration of justice to all manner
of persons without discrimination, the objective being to
create an enabling environment for good governance".
She said a prime objective of the Judicial Service was to
ensure that justice became available to Ghanaians in all
Districts.
Mrs. Justice Wood commended the Bawku West District Assembly
for building the courthouse. She also praised the former
District Chief Executive who initiated the project and saw
to its successful completion.
She expressed regret that many court buildings and
residential facilities housing Judges and Magistrates were
in a deplorable condition while some areas did not have any
at all.
She appealed to District, Municipal and Metropolitan
Assemblies to help provide those facilities for the
Judiciary, adding that it was their legal responsibility to
assist in bringing the administration of justice to the
people.
"If this is not done, the ordinary person may not have an
immediate and easy access to a court of law to resolve any
dispute he or she may have with neighbours. The tendency
therefore in such a situation is for an aggrieved person to
resort to self help which is not good", she said.
Mrs Agnes Chigabatia, Deputy Regional Minister and Acting
District Chief Executive, expressed the hope that the
presence of an active court would minimize crime,
especially, cattle rustling, stealing and armed robbery.
"We are therefore hopeful that the provision of a district
magistrate court will go a long way to ease these problems
and make our people enjoy a high level of peace and freedom.
We are aware that our people are mostly farmers and traders
and it is unacceptable that what they struggle to accumulate
through their sweat is taken away illegally from them by
criminals", she said.
She said people in the district presently relied on the
courts in Bolgatanga and Bawku, a situation, she added, was
putting financial stress on the people because of the
distance.
GNA
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