The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament on Monday restated its confidence in the judiciary during a meeting with the Chief Justice E. K. Wiredu, who gave the assurance that, that arm of government would not surrender its integrity and independence to any other body.
At a meeting with the Chief Justice and seven justices of the Supreme Court, a delegation of the Minority, led by Mr Alban Bagbin assured the judiciary that it would help its efforts to secure the requisite funding to facilitate the implementation of projects such as infrastructure, refurbishment and automation of the courts.
The meeting was sought by the Minority as a follow-up to its press statement, which expressed misgivings about the recent meeting Mr. Justice Wiredu and some members of the judiciary held recently with President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle.
The NDC statement said, "it considered the recent meeting held in camera as an act of serious indiscretion on the part of the President and the Chief Justice (CJ) with real potential of casting doubt on the integrity and independence of the members of the Judiciary."
Mr. Bagbin told the meeting that the Minority felt uneasy about holding that meeting behind closed doors because leading government officials including the President had created the impression that the Executive was aware of the eventual outcome of political cases pending before the courts.
He cited an example where it said the President stated "confidently in the media that the NDC will not win the cases it had brought against the government on an interview programme on the national television."
Mr Bagbin said a similar comment was made by the Senior Minister, Mr J. H. Mensah at the last NPP Congress that the NDC would cease to exist by the time the cases brought against former officials were completed.
The Minority Leader said having been assured by the Chief Justice that the meeting with the President was not on any issue unfavourable to the Minority, he and his colleagues in Parliament would continue to work on matters in Parliament that would guarantee the independence of the Judiciary.
He suggested that problems confronting the Judiciary in the discharge of its duties, which are matters of public interest, should in future be discussed with the involvement of the Legislature, which had the mandate to approve the budget of the Judiciary.
Justice Wiredu described the suggestion as laudable and said the Judiciary had also scheduled a meeting with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Legal Affairs before it went to see the President about its budget.
"We had to meet the President urgently because we were told that the Ministry of Finance had given us a ceiling of about 49 billion cedis, when we needed more than 150 billion cedis for our programme," he said.
The Chief Justice stressed that it was unconstitutional for the Ministry of Finance to give it limitations on its budget. They, therefore, went to inform the President, who had the power to make recommendations on the budget and also to stop the Finance Minister from that practice.
Mr Wiredu said he did not envisage the problems raised by the Minority, adding that to avoid such suspicions in future, it would consider means of ensuring that such meetings involved some members of the Legislature.
"I urge you, however, to have faith in me and the Judiciary since we would carry out our duty with the conviction that our judgements are for posterity. Any individual member who would act otherwise would have himself or herself to blame."
Mr John Mahama, ranking member for Communications, thanked the Chief Justice and the justices for understanding their concerns as politicians and the cordial manner in which the meeting was held. He also pledged the Minority's support to strengthen the independence and the integrity of the Judiciary.
Mrs Justice Joyce Bradford Addo, Mr Justice A.K.B. Ampiah, Mr Justice F.Y. Kpegah, Mr Justice E.D.K. Adjabeng, Mr Justice William Atuguba, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, Mr Justice T.K. Adjoe and the Judicial Secretary and his deputy attended the meeting. On the Minority side were Mr I.K. Adjei Mensah, Mr Doe Adjaho, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe and Mrs Edith Haizel.
