Ghana takes bold step in justice dispensation, begins paperless court system
Years of efforts in reforming Ghana’s justice system has paid off with the takeoff of E-Justice platform, designed to automate the existing manual filing systems within the Courts’ registries.
Launching the platform at the Law Courts Complex in Accra recently, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted that the paperless court system is aimed at computerising court processes for the efficient and effective delivery of justice in Ghana.
According to him, “The platform will take away the paper-based processes and record keeping that caused delays in judicial administration. It will eliminate human interface and the opportunity for fraudulent conduct and corrupt practices”.
While stressing that the e-Justice platform was in recognition of the fact that technology has permeated every aspect of human endeavour, Akufo-Addo averred that the project was an attempt to ensure that the law kept pace with technology and put an end to the age-old ‘missing docket’ phenomenon and endless litigation which had plagued the timely dispensation of justice for many years.
He argued further that the numerous policy measures introduced by his administration to bridge the technology gap, saying “Harnessing the power of technology was critical if we are to maintain the confidence of the Ghanaian people and shore up our nation’s reputation as a country governed by the rule of law.”
“As a lawyer, who had practised in the courtroom for many years, I have witnessed several instances of people who felt short-changed because of the cumbersome nature of the processes involved in filling cases, with some giving up on the justice system altogether.
President Akufo-Addo who referred to the Judicial Oath which said ‘Justice must be done to all manner of persons without fear of favour, affection or ill will, and therefore without recourse to the political, religious, or ethnic affiliations of any citizen of the land,’ noted that “The e-justice project would give true meaning to that attestation”.
“This paperless Court system operates with minimum interference and if what we have seen so far, with the paperless system we use in our ports is anything to go by, then we are guaranteed greater efficiency in our justice delivery system,” he said.
Continuing, he revealed that as part of concerted efforts to deepen the new digital court policy, there will be series of project, training programmes for members of the Judiciary and their staff so as to situate the new e-justice platform.
He admonished all actors connected with the e-Justice system to strive for excellence and to demonstrate integrity in the use of the Platform “so that anyone, Judge, Lawyer and client, who uses the platform will be confident that justice will always be delivered.”
The President urged the Chief Justice not to relent on her quest to build a first class Judiciary that bore the hallmarks of competence, fairness and independence.
In her response, the Chief Justice of Ghana, Mrs. Sophia Akuffo lauded the President’s commitment to leverage ICT to improve the justice delivery system and all other sectors of the economy in Ghana.
Business Hilights Ghana Bureau chief gathered that the $97 million project, which would be replicated in all courts across the country, is wholly sponsored by the World Bank, through the Ministry of Communications, with the Judicial Service of Ghana as its implementing agency.
