A-G pays courtesy call on Chief Justice

Accra, Feb. 28, GNA - Mr Martin Amidu, Minister of Justice and Attorney General (AG), on Monday called for cooperation between the judiciary and the executive to improve the justice delivery system.

He said the perception that the judiciary was there to work for the interest of the executive was wrong.

Mr Amidu made the statement when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief Justice (CJ), Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, at his office in Accra.

Mr Amidu, who was meeting the CJ for the first time since his appointment, was accompanied by Mr Barton Odro, Deputy Minister of Justice, Mrs Amma Gaise, the Solicitor General, Ms Gertrude Aikins, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Mr Suleiman Ahmed, Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice.

Mr Amidu said there were so many areas that the judiciary and executiv= e could work together to ensure justice to all persons without fear or favour= .. "During my tenure I will work to ensure that justice is done to all manner of persons without fear or favour," he said. Mr Amidu also gave the assurance that his office was ready to assist the judiciary to perform its duties without any hindrance. He expressed concern about the long periods that people had to spend o= n remand, saying this was not good enough.

"I will like to take advantage of my presence there to make the syst= em fairer for everybody to access the justice delivery system." Mrs Justice Wood, who commended Mr Amidu on his appointment, stressed that a strong and independent judiciary promoted growth and development. She called for the overhaul of the criminal justice system to ensure faster delivery of justice.

She said plea bargaining and introduction of custodial sentences could be used to enhance the justice system. Mrs Justice Wood said having worked all her life in the Judicial Service for the past 37 years her administration was determined to enhance justice delivery. "You can count on me and my judicial officers to do all that is righ= t and fair to all persons without fear or favour."

Mrs Justice Wood also called for the strengthening of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) since it was a better option of reducing the cost of litigation. She said one of the legacies that she wanted to leave for the country was a strong ADR.