CJ empowers court registries for efficiency in justice administration

The Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, in her quest to enhance the administration of justice and ensure a responsive legal system that addresses the needs of citizens, has organized a Conference for Supervising High Court Judges, Regional Administrative Officers, and Court Registrars of the Judicial Service in the Southern Sector of Ghana, at the La Palm Royal beach Hotel in Accra.

The one-day Conference spearheaded by the Judicial Training Institute (TI) had the theme; “Building the Pillars of Justice in Coherence and Harmony”.

The conference's main objective was to enhance the administration of justice by addressing relevant, practical models to remove barriers to efficiency and effectiveness in justice delivery.

According to Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, “Court Registrars play a pivotal role in the justice delivery system, and as quasi-judicial officers, it is important that they are informed, possess integrity and strong leadership skills”.

The Conference was thus meant to involve participants in finding practical solutions to issues that work against effective and efficient delivery of services to the public.

The Conference identified institutional and structural barriers that impinge on work at the registry level and overall judicial administration.

It further served as an avenue for direct interactions with the Chief Justice, Management, Supervising High Court Judges, Regional Administrative Officers, and Court Registrars, and to exchange ideas and dialogue.

The outcome of the dialogue will ultimately form the basis for strategies and policy documents that will promote efficiency and effectiveness in court administration.

There were presentations by some Directors of the Judicial Service on identified areas of concern, followed by breakout sessions that addressed practical challenges in administrative/registry work such as Execution, Bails, Letters of Administration, preparation of Warrants etc.

In the end, a Conference Communique on Achieving Coherence and Harmony whiles Building the Pillars of Justice, was presented by the Conference Rapporteur, Her Ladyship Justice Dorothy Kingsley-Nyinah; a Justice of the High Court and Quality Assurance Manager of the Judicial Service.

A similar Conference event will be held for Supervising Judges, Regional Administrators, and Registrars in the Northern Sector of Ghana.