Judiciary must command respect of the people - Nana Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the situation where judges proffer judgements on the basis of decisions from lower courts and cite them as law, is not acceptable, and even less so, when judges cite no authority at all for their rulings, and give orders without reasons.

According to him, "our judges must be learned, know their case law and ensure that their judgements are properly motivated."

Speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the new Chief Justice of the Republic, Justice Sophia Akuffo, on Monday, 19th June, 2017, at the State House, President Akufo-Addo said "It is critical for the growth of our nation that we have a Judiciary that commands the respect of the people by the nature of its delivery of justice, as well as by the comportment of its judges. It is vitally important that we have judges who are honest, possess integrity and a sound knowledge of the law."

He stated that the principle of stare decisis, can operate, which, according to the well-known common law doctrine, "promotes the even-handed, predictable, and consistent development of legal principles, fosters reliance on judicial decisions, and contributes to the actual and perceived integrity of the judicial process."

Nonetheless, the President remained unequivocal that the Judiciary, can be said, generally, to have discharged, its duties creditably and responsibly, even though he was on the wrong end of the decision in the famous election petition of 2013.

"A favourable decision on the day could have meant, perhaps, that this was my second term in office, rather than the commencement of my mandate," he joked.

The attachment of the Ghanaian people to the rule of law, the President added, "made it possible for us, in the New Patriotic Party, to entrust our fate to the highest court in the land in the aftermath of the disputed elections of 2012. It also enabled the country to move on, in unity and stability, after the Court handed down its verdict."