Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong has lauded efforts by the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to introduce an electronic filing system for the Judiciary early next month.
Speaking at a GIMPA Law Conference on the topic, “The Judiciary and ICT: Challenges and Opportunities”, she said, “Indeed as a practitioner I was filled with joy yesterday when her Ladyship the Chief Justice said that next month the Judiciary will be rolling out the electronic filing system.”
The Chief Justice earlier announced that the Judicial Service will from March this year commence the electronic filing of cases throughout the country’s courts.
This, she stressed, would help reduce the frequency of human involvement in the process of filing cases in the courts.
Commenting on the initiative, the former Attorney General charged members of the judicial service to support the initiative and reforms and make sure it works together for the benefits of the citizenry.
She also highlighted some advantages of ICT to the judicial system in Ghana.
According to her, with the extensive use of mobile technology, the use of apps like Facebook and WhatsApp should be adopted by the service to exchange useful information such as adjournment and indisposition of judges among lawyers.
She further intimated that, “Implementation of the electronic case filing system is worthy of emulation of most levels of the judicial system but we must make sure that early implementation takes into account the peculiar situation with our district court to avoid the situation where litigants become further marginalized.”
Charging attendants as well as litigants and justices to update their ICT skills and be open to new ways of dispensing justice, she said, “We must improve the level of technological literacy among the members of the bench, bar and judicial service as whole.”
Although she acknowledged the positives sides of ICT, she opinionated that “ICT is not the cure all for the big elephant, ‘Corruption’ with due difference.”
The GIMPA Law Conference saw many lawyers and Justices including Justice Emile Short, Former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, and Paramount Chief of the Asokore Traditional Area, Dr. Nana S.K.B. Asante, who acted as chairman.
Meanwhile, Dean of GIMPA Law School, Lawyer Ernest Kofi Abotsi strongly repeated that the litigants and critics should not to expose the judiciary to destructive criticisms.
He added that the event was to discuss the way forward in Ghana’s Judiciary and not attack adding anyone’s reputation. He also apologized to the justices should any speaker had insulted their office.
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