Refrain from offering bribes to Judges - Judge

Mr. Justice Charles Agbavor, Volta Regional Supervising High Court Judge, has cautioned litigants against acts intended to bribe officials of the court to tilt decisions in their favour.

“Judges and Magistrates are not corrupt until you make them corrupt and you must, therefore, stop bringing them the dogs, the goats and the fowls,” he stated.

Mr. Justice Agbavor, who gave the caution at the inauguration of a Magistrate’s Court, at Ave-Dakpa in the Akatsi-North District, explained that maintaining the sanctity of the Judiciary was the duty of all the citizenry.

He therefore asked people to rather fight their cases in court and return on appeal if they lost or were dissatisfied with the outcome.

Mr. Justice Agbavor also advised aggrieved litigants not to resort to gossips and writing of anonymous letters but to petition either the Chief Justice or her representatives if they had issues concerning the Judiciary.

He commended the Assembly and District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, in particular, for providing the Court structure, which he said had brought justice near to the people.

He announced that a juvenile court and family tribunal would be added to the Court.

Mr. Justice Agbavor advised Assemblies to enact with bye-laws on sanitation for the courts to enforce.

He consequently called for their support for the Court but urged traditional rulers to encourage out of court settlements in civil matters when they considered it appropriate for all the parties involved.

Later in a meeting, the staff of the Court, Mr. Agbavor advised them to abide by the ethics of the Service.

Madam Adjoa Ntosu, Volta Regional Minister, who was represented, stressed that it was the mandate of the Judiciary to ensure that constitutional democracy flourished in the country.

Mr. Dan Kofi Aggey, Volta Regional President, Ghana Bar Association, advised litigants in the area to avoid rushing to court in cases where there could be amicable settlements.

Mr. James Gunu, the DCE of the area, whose outfit provided the infrastructure and furnishing, said his people, in the infant district, would no longer seek justice in far-away Akatsi and Dzodze in the Akatsi South and Ketu North districts respectively.

“The Assembly will do all to support the court to ensure effective, efficient, and speedy justice delivery for the needed peace for development,” he said.

The Akatsi North District, carved from the Akatsi District, was inaugurated in June 2012.