Accra, April 17, – The Executive has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the independence of the Judiciary to enable it to deliver justice without fear or favour.
It said a strong and independent judiciary remained essential to upholding constitutional rule, ensuring fairness and strengthening public confidence in the justice system.
The Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, made the remarks at the launch of the Supreme Court’s 150th anniversary celebration in Accra.
She said the Supreme Court must uphold the highest principles of justice, adding that it should remain above political influence, public pressure and personal interest.
“May the Supreme Court be guided by the sacred symbolism of holding aloft the scales of justice higher than power, higher than politics, higher than popularity, and to do so without fear or favour, affection or ill-will,” she said.
Madam Bampoe Addo said the Court must continue to serve as the final safeguard against arbitrariness, abuse of power and erosion of constitutional values, while improving access to justice for vulnerable groups, including women, persons with disability and the poor.
She stressed that delayed and costly justice limits access, noting that reforms and digital tools were needed to improve efficiency in the justice delivery system.
“Slow justice is expensive justice, and expensive justice is justice only a few can access,” she said, urging greater use of technology to reduce delays in hearings and rulings.
She further called for sustained efforts to strengthen public trust in the judiciary and improve legal literacy to help citizens better understand and access justice services.
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, in his address, also called for reforms to make justice faster, more transparent and more accessible, questioning whether current systems meet modern expectations.
He said initiatives such as the e-Justice system, expanded court sittings and infrastructure upgrades were being pursued to improve efficiency and reduce delays in the courts.
The anniversary celebration includes public lectures, a documentary on the history of the Supreme Court from 1876 to date, and legal aid outreach programmes to underserved communities.
The event was attended by representatives of Parliament, the Deputy Attorney-General, former Chief Justices, Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Bar, Ministers of State, traditional leaders and other dignitaries.
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