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SOLIDARITY MESSAGE OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE STAFF ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (JUSAG) DELIVERED BY MR. SAMUEL AFOTEY OTU, THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF JUSAG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 43^RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MAGISTRATES AND JUDGES OF GHANA (AMJG) HELD AT THE LABADI BEACH IN ACCRA ON WEDNESDAY, 2^ND OCTOBER 2024 

My Lady Chair, H/L Justice Gertrude Aaraba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, Honourable Lady Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana as by law established; with your kind permission, I respectfully pray to stand on the existing protocols. 

My Lady Chair, it is a privilege to be here today to address this prestigious conference of the AMJG on behalf of Judicial service Staff. My Lord Chairman, barely a week ago, JUSAG climaxed the year-long celebration of its 50^th anniversary in Cape Coast. From the launch at the Court Complex in Accra in February this year, to the regional programmes up to the climax last month, we enjoyed an overwhelming support of not only the Judges and Magistrates, but most importantly, the Honorable Lady Chief Justice and the Judicial Secretary who out of their busy schedules had travelled all the way to Cape Coast on a weekend to celebrate with us.

It was a pleasure for us (JUSAG) to honour our mother the Chief Justice as the champion of staff welfare and advancement of judicial career development. It was a testament of the priority you have given the Judicial Service Regulation which seeks to give proper legal effect to our conditions of service, and your commitment to the paralegal training which seeks to empower us with legal competence to support the judiciary in the administration of justice. My Lady, we salute you once again.

My Lords and Ladies, I have come to this conference with the national executives of JUSAG for us to convey our heartfelt appreciation to you all for the awesome support we enjoyed from you during the activities of the JUSAG@50. May the Good Lord bless you for your continuous support.

 My Lord Chairman, the theme for this year’s conference “Improving the Security and Welfare of the Judiciary for Effective Justice Delivery” bring our minds to three key issues in the work of the judges and the support staff. These are cyber security, physical security and job security.

The independence guaranteed the judiciary in its judicial and administration functions will be meaningless unless and until the security and welfare of the judges and the support staff are guaranteed. And where the three key security pillars of the judiciary are not guaranteed, the dream of effective justice will be fleeting illusion to be pursued. 

My Lady Chair, in a country such as ours, where our peace is as important as the blood that flows through our veins, we need to do everything possible to protect the peace we enjoy. To achieve this, we must as a matter of urgency consider the importance of providing a robust security and welfare systems for all members of the judiciary and the judicial service, including registrars, courtroom staff, among others.

These persons are the custodians of justice, and their work often involves sensitive and high-stake decisions that can provoke strong reactions from the public. Therefore, inadequate security not only endangers our lives but also undermines the integrity, independence and effectiveness of the justice system.

My Lady Chair, whilst we commend Her Ladyship the Chief Justice for the progressive steps taken towards actualizing the digitalization of the justice delivery through the e-justice and virtual courts programme, it is a wakeup call for us to think about cyber security in the Judiciary. In view of the increasing complexities of cyber securities and threats, the IT architecture including the applications and the system will require consistent checks, updates, and upgrades to secure it for the judiciary. 

The ICT department of the Judicial Service oversees a vast array of sensitive databases, containing information vital to the functioning of our courts. However, it is quite disheartening that staff of this vital department have never had formal technical training to enhance their capacity to deal with contemporary IT issues, especially cyber security and its related matter. As cyber threats grow more complex, it is imperative that we organize periodic training for our ICT professionals of the service. This will not only sharpen their skills but also equip them with the tools necessary to protect the integrity of our data systems against internal and external threats.

My Lady Chair, physical security is vital for the judges and the staff who serve them. Our first welfare is our security. We must ensure that security protocols are comprehensive enough to cover the administrative staff who are often overlooked and that they instill confidence in all judicial officers to carry out their duties without fear or intimidation.

A key aspect of enhancing security within the judiciary is the need for specialized training for the internal security staff and equipping them with the requisite devises to protect lives, properties and themselves. Most of our watchmen do not have even cutlasses for protection, yet they protect courts and bungalows. 

My Lady, our special appeal to management is that the internal security personnel should be well trained and well equipped to respond to the sophisticated and evolving threats that our judiciary face.

Additionally, it is imperative to extend security awareness to all staff, including those whose roles may seem peripheral to security concerns, such as cleaners. These individuals often have access to private areas of our offices and can inadvertently become conduits for security breaches. There would be a need for all staff to be aware of this security issues and to report potential security threats, we stand to create a more vigilant and secure working environment for everyone.

Last year, we witnessed a deeply concerning incident at the Tamale District Court. A decision by the presiding judge, grounded in the law and the pursuit of justice, unfortunately sparked an intense and negative reaction from the community. The situation escalated so quickly that, had it not been for the swift and decisive intervention of the security stationed at the court, the outcome would have been dire. It is chilling to consider what might have transpired if the security response had delayed by even a few moments.

Last year again, a bailiff was attacked by an officer of the Ghana National Fire Service when he went to serve a process on that officer. The innocent court officer was just discharging his lawful duties of serving court process. It took the intervention of JUSAG to bring a contempt case against the Fire Officer and got him convicted and sentenced. Even though we secured a successful conviction, we felt the two days sentence handed down to the convict was woefully inadequate considering the gravity of the attack. The judge could have done better, since the attack was an attack on the court and the judiciary which included the presiding judge herself.However, we take consolation in the fact that, a message has been sent to the general public and it will serve as deterrent to others of like mind. Similar case happened at Amasaman High Court where a staff  was viciously attacked. These cases are becoming one too many. We are therefore calling the authorities to beef up the securities in the court.

The message we wish to convey to the general public is that, any unprovoked violent attack on a judicial service staff or a sitting judge in response to a judgement issued by a court of competent jurisdiction will be met with the full force of the law.

These few accounts are not isolated cases. They highlight a growing pattern of threats and hostility faced by our judges and staff. The dangers we face are real, and it is important that concrete steps are taken to address them.

In the spirit of improving the welfare of the judiciary, we emphasized the provision of a risk allowance to members of the judiciary and the administrative staff of Judicial Service of Ghana. This allowance is not just about the financial compensation, it is about recognizing the unique dangers inherent in our work and providing them with a sense of security. It also about assuring them that our welfare is a priority for the very people they have sworn to serve and protect.

My Lady Chair, Honorable Lady Chief Justice, the biggest of our security and welfare is job security. Job security goes beyond keeping one’s job. It includes a guarantee that one’s career progression is not impeded merely because he expresses an independent judgment or action firmly grounded in law, but displeases the powers that be.

It is also important to emphasize that Judicial Service staff who are accused of violation of the code of conduct are accorded all the privileges of the law including the requirement of the rules of natural justice. May I therefore, use this avenue to appeal to the Honourable Chief Justice to expedite action on staff who have had successful appeals against disciplinary actions involving them for their issues to be remedied.

Finally, our most important security, often overlooked is integrity. A persons of integrity is, perhaps, the most feared. At this crucial stage of Ghana, employees of the judiciary and the judicial service need to continue to uphold the values of integrity in order to assert our independence and ultimately guarantee our security and welfare. I appeal that we keep our integrity high.

My Lady Chair, as I take my seat, I will once again state that, the security and welfare of the judiciary are not just matters of internal concern, they are critical to the very fabric of justice in our dear nation. If we strengthen our security systems, invest in the training of our staff, and provide adequate compensation for the risks they face, the judiciary will perform its duty with the confidence and support it deserves. Effective and efficient judiciary will be the ultimate end.

God bless Our homeland Ghana and make us strong even as we get closer to our presidential and parliamentary elections.

Long live the AMJG, Long live JUSAG

Thank you.