Supreme Court at 150 anniversary celebration was yesterday launched in Accra on the theme: “Honouring the past, celebrating the present and defining the future.”
There was also the unveiling of the 150th anniversary logo for the month-long celebration.
The event was attended by some members of the legal fraternity, who included past Superior Court judges, the bar and other stakeholders who reflected on the court’s role in strengthening the country’s democracy.
Public trust
The Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration), Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, said the judiciary must pay closer attention to how it was perceived by the public, particularly at a time when confidence in state institutions remained a concern.
She said the strength of the courts was tied to the people, and that any disconnect between the two weakened the foundation of justice delivery.
“Research points to a real decline in public trust in the judiciary, when the Court listens to the people, it honours its own foundation,” Nana Bampoe Addo, added.
Reforms
The Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, mentioned an e-justice programme that would ensure digital filing, digital service, virtual hearings and digitised records as some of the reforms his outfit was undertaking to avoid delays, including establishment of specialised courts to address emerging areas of law.
He said the next chapter of the court must be driven by a moral commitment for excellence.
On legal education reforms, a former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, who chaired the event, said there was the need to prioritise quality over quantity.
“Legal education reforms must focus on quality more than in the numbers, and if you have to sacrifice anything, sacrifice the quantity'” she said.
Respect court decisions
A former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, urged the public to respect Supreme Court’s decisions as binding outcomes reached through due process.
“We must accept judgments because they are duly made by the highest court of Ghana.
The law should always be supreme in a civilised society,” he added.
Prof. Oquaye said criticisms of judicial decisions should not be driven by bias or ignorance, but by respect for the Constitution and the rule of law, adding that no institution, including Parliament, was above the constitution.
He called on the judiciary and the legislature to work together to address various gaps that existed in the country’s laws.
Judicial independence
A former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Yaw Apau, also described the apex court as a cornerstone of the nation’s constitutional order, calling on stakeholders to support its continued independence while modernising its operations to meet the demands of a changing society.
He said the Supreme Court represented more than the history of a court, describing it as part of “a longer history of how authority, legality and constitutional order had been organised” in the country.
Justice Apau traced the Supreme Court’s origins to the Supreme Court Ordinance of 1876, which formalised a colonial legal system based on English common law and equitable doctrines, while operating alongside indigenous governance structures such as customary fora and native tribunals.
He said this created a dual legal system—one governed by English law in the superior courts and another grounded in customary institutions under colonial regulation.
Justice Apau stressed the need for judicial innovation, including the expansion of digital and e-justice systems to improve case management, reduce delays, and widen access to justice, while ensuring fairness, security and due process.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh