I'll ensure discipline - CJ.

Sekondi, September 25,GNA- Mr Justice George K. Acquah, the Chief Justice, said on Thursday that, he is determined to establish a disciplined and efficient Judicial system that will impartially administer justice.

He was opening a one-day course on judicial statistics and performance management for registrars, court clerks, auditors and officers of the research and monitoring unit of the judicial service in the Western Region.

It was organised by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Ghana (ICJEG) in Sekondi.

Mr Justice Acquah said he has identified lapses in the Judicial Service that militate against efficient performance, and that they will be properly addressed.

He said poor and unreliable record management, favouritism, nepotism and indiscipline as some of the lapses.

Mr Justice Acquah said a section of the Service felt they were "untouchable because of their connections and can do whatever they like".

He said he would not hesitate to punish any member of staff of the service from judges to those in the lowest grades who misbehaves "because they are all equal before the law".

Mr Justice Acquah said his administration is doing everything possible to improve conditions of service for the Judiciary.

Courts of Appeal to sit in two shifts

Sekondi, 25 Sept. GNA- Mr Kwesi Gyan Ainuson, Coordinator of Judicial Reform Programme said on Thursday that criminal cases will now be heard at the courts throughout the year and the Court of Appeal will begin sitting in shifts from October this year to clear backlog of cases.

He said the first shift will sit from 0900 hours to 1300 hours while the second shift begins from 1300 hours to 16 hours.

Mr Ainuson was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sekondi at a seminar on judicial statistics and performance management for registrars, court clerks, auditors and officers of the research and monitoring unit of the judicial service in the Western Region.

He said the World Bank sponsored the establishment of the fast track courts in Accra and has offered to sponsor same in some parts of the country and that the African Development Bank (ADB) will fund the Sekondi Fast Track court to be established soon.

Mr Ainuson said the seminar was designed to expose participants to the processes of evaluating on automated courts, to deepen their understanding of the transformation process of the judicial service.

New forms to provide accurate data on court cases designed.

Sekondi September 25 GNA- The Statistics Department of the Judicial Service has designed new return forms for the courts to make possible to keep accurate records of cases, an official of the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Ghana told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sekondi on Thursday.

The official who asked not to be mentioned was speaking to the GNA after the opening of a one-day course organised by the Institute for court officers in the Western Region.

He said the new forms were introduced because the old return forms did not ensure proper record keeping, and therefore made it difficult to obtain statistics on cases handled by the courts.

He said the Supreme and Appeal Courts did not have return forms for the record of cases they sat on and as a result could not submit returns on cases they have heard.

The official said courts now have to submit their annual reports by July 1, each year to make it possible for the Chief Justice to present his annual report at the beginning of the legal year, which was not previously done.

He said for a long time, the Judicial Service did not have a strong Statistical Unit and this made it difficult to obtain statistics on various cases and the service.

He said the United Nations Children Fund and Canadian non-governmental organisation, CUSO, conducted a research into how to improve the judicial system.