Your Core Mandate Is To Dispense Unbiased Justice To All Ghanaians Get It Right – CDG-GH Tells SC Justices

The Caucus for Democratic Governance-Ghana (CDG-GH), is cautioning the justices of the Supreme Court (SC) to mindful of their core mandate which is  to dispense unbiased justice to all Ghanaians.

According to the Caucus It has obtained with keen interest the desperate efforts the Supreme Court panel handling the 2020 elections petition are making to control issues of interrogatories ; using predetermined direction and directives, not relevant to law, as basis .

In a statement issued and signed by the Executive Director of the CDG-GH, Dr E.K.Hayford hinted that the reason for the rejection of interrogatories from  lead lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata because of “speed” is far from the true.

The court has set time limits to deliver Judgement.  For this reason,  case Management Conference (CMC) has been imposed by the court, so the targeted “speed” would be achieved beats human compression. The statement said.

 

Below is the full statement

 

*CAUCUS FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, GHANA(CDG-GH)*

 

PRESS  RELEASE

 

25th JANUARY 2021

 

THE CORE MANDATE OF SC JUDGES IS  TO DISPENSE JUSTICE

Any other objective is secondary

 

Observation

The Caucus for Democratic Governance-Ghana (CDG-GH),  has observed with interest the desperate efforts of the Supreme Court panel to control issues of interrogatories ; using predetermined direction and directives, not relevant to law, as basis .

 

Interrogatories

The reason for the rejection of interrogatories from  lead lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, was “speed”. The court has set time limits to deliver Judgement.  For this reason,  case Management Conference (CMC) has been imposed by the court, so the targeted “speed” would be achieved.

 

Pre-Trial

For the purpose of “speed”, hearing will continue even before expected applications are submitted. The desire for “speed”, led the court to reduce the 5 days time limit set for pre-trial of C. I. 99 to one day.  If indeed “speed” is such a vital objective; more than C. I. 99,  it would then be fair to suggest, that the court goes ahead to deliver its verdict on the basis of “speed”, using written Petition and Respondents answers before it.

 

“Speed” or Justice

The question many Ghanaians are asking is : Which is more important to the Supreme Court Panel – “Speed” or Justice? Where true Justice is a core mandate, “speed” becomes secondary. Indeed the search for Justice to bring Ghana the needed peace and stability, makes the craze for “speed” an abject absurdity. In our view, the Judges appear less interested to dispense true Justice. Indeed they seek to crucify true Justice with “Speed”.

It is important for the Supreme Court Panel to admit that there is no causal relationship between Justice and  “speed”. Indeed an attempt to limit time reduced the quality of Justice in all its dimensions.

 

Quote from lawyer Tsikata

CDG-GH agrees with lead lawyer, eminent Tsatsu Tsikata when he said, and I quote “Justice must not be sacrificed for expedition” unquote, it is dangerous for our democracy.

 

Dr E.K.Hayford

Executive Director,  CDG-GH

0277606338 /0243609277

 

News Desk Report