New CJ to ensure ‘quality justice’

The Chief Justice nominee Justice Sophia Akuffo has said that her vision if she is endorsed for the office, will be to ensure that every Ghanaian will have quality justice if they resort to the courts for dispute settlements.

She was speaking during her vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

She said her priority will be to ensure that quality judges will use technology to provide quality judgement.

“I’m sure people have been asking what my vision is, it is to ensure quality judges delivering quality justice with technology,” Justice Akuffo said.

She argued that the judged must be provided with better working conditions.

She, therefore, promised to look into the working conditions of judges if she is endorsed and sworn in to take over from her predecessor Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who retired June 7, 2017.

About the CJ nominee

Sophia Akuffo had her Masters in Law (LLM) from the Havard University in the United States.

She has been a member of the Governing Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute and the Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force.

In January 2006, she was elected one of the first judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights initially elected for two years, she was subsequently re-elected until 2014 and is at present serving as Vice-President of the Court.

She has written The Application of Information & Communication Technology in the Judicial Process – the Ghanaian Experience, a presentation to the African Judicial Network Ghana (2002). If confirmed by parliament Justice Sophia Akuffo will be the fifth Chief Justice under the fourth republic after; Isaac Kobina Abban who served between 1995 to 2001.

Edward Kwame Wiredu also served between 2001 and 2003 while George Kingsley Acquah served from 2003 to 2007 before Georgina Theodora Wood from 2007 to 2017.

Justice Akuffo will also be the 13th Chief Justice in the history of the Republic of Ghana.