Ghana's Chief Justice, Honorable Justice Sophia Akuffo has urged the public to desist from giving monetary gifts to staff of the Judicial Service as a way of showing appreciation if they offer them assistance in their line of duty.
The Chief Justice made this known at the 39th annual general meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana in Accra on October 2, 2019.
She said this practice of showing appreciation breeds corruption and must end.
She, therefore, cautioned all judges and magistrates to restrict their show of appreciation to a verbal one.
“Out of the sense of obligation, we are obliged to pay ‘thank you’ money to judicial service staff in the performance of their lawful duties. This practice has persisted for a while but I believe it is time for us to put a stop to it as it contributes to the culture of corruption.â€
She stressed that staff of the judicial service are salaried workers paid by the state and whatever help they lend to judges and magistrates should be considered as a statutory duty.
At the same event, president of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) Justice Senyo Dzamefe, said members want an increase in salary and be spared the trouble of joining long queues when applying for a visa to another country.
“Our salaries are not the best,†Justice Dzamefe summarised the sentiments of magistrates and judges about their emolument.
“The Association is not happy the way Judges are treated when we apply for visas to travel. I have a harrowing story of one our very senior and respected Supreme Court judges…who was forced to join the public queue outside in the rain waiting for his turn to enter the U.S. Embassy for a visa interview,†he recounted.