The independence of the country’s court has been questioned after the US Department of State revealed that certain judges were vulnerable to “unlawful influence and corruption” while deciding cases.
“Judicial officials reportedly received payments to expedite or postpone cases, “lose” records, or make favorable verdicts for the bribe payer,” according to the 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Although the 1992 Constitution mandates all judges to remain unbiased when considering a matter, some judges allowed themselves to be compromised, according to the report.
“A judicial complaints unit within the Ministry of Justice, headed by a retired Supreme Court justice, addressed complaints from the public, such as unfair treatment by a court or judge, unlawful arrest or detention, missing trial dockets, delayed trials and rendering of judgments, and bribery of judges,” according to the report.
The administration, on the other hand, “usually honored judicial orders,” according to the US State Department.
This is the most recent in a series of bribery scandals that have rocked Ghana’s judiciary.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas, an investigative journalist, exposed the rot in the courts in a 2015 exposé.
The audio and video clips implicated 22 circuit court judges and magistrates, as well as 12 High Court justices.
Following that, the relevant individuals were suspended until the start of an investigation into their actions.
