ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY JUSTICE SOPHIA A.B. AKUFFO (MS) DURING HER SWEARING IN, AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2017 AT THE BANQUET HALL, STATE HOUSE @ 1 PM
Source: judicial_service_of_ghana

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Your Excellency the Vice President, The Right Honorable Speaker, Your Excellencies Former Presidents of the Republic of Ghana, Your Lordships Justices of the Superior Courts and Retired Justices of the Supreme Court, Nananom. I am extremely humbled and honored to have been offered the opportunity to serve as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana. I thank the Lord for this honor and privilege and am also very grateful to you Mr. President, the Council of State and the Parliament, for the roles you played in the appointment process. I also wish to seize this opportunity to appreciate Former President Rawlings, who nominated me for appointment to the Supreme Court at a time when I had not even conceived or envisaged for myself a life on the Bench; he must have seen in me something I was yet to see. I am also grateful to Former President Kufuour for nominating me for election to the then newly formed African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which has enriched my experience and which experience will be brought to bear in my new position. Finally, I thank Former President Mahama for all the support he ensured the African Court would receive from the African Union Leadership, towards the advancement of its work; we were the envy of many Organs of the Union. Indeed the African Court became the envy of the Union. As indicated during my vetting by the Appointments Committee on Friday 16 th June, 2017, I am passionate about integrity, the delivery of quality justice and the development and stability of our nation and will strive to demonstrate these passions throughout my tenure in the high office of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana. The Judiciary is indeed the bulwark of our democracy and the defender of the rule of Law. A nation breaks down and descends into anarchy, if its judicial system breaks down and I will pursue measures to protect the integrity of the institution, shore up and elevate its image. In doing this, I will be counting on the support and cooperation of the other arms of government which are headed by Your Excellency, Mr. President, and the Right Honorable Speaker. The Judiciary has diligently worked for and obtained a large measure of independence. This is however made incomplete by the lack of financial independence and that is an objective I would like to achieve during my tenure as Chief Justice. The vetting process brought into perspective several matters about the Judiciary which the good people of Ghana have concerns. These include; the integrity of the Judiciary and the perception of corruption, political influence and other influences on the Judiciary, the conditions of service of Judges and Magistrates, the infrastructure of the Judicial Service i.e. the courtrooms and residences. delays in justice delivery, loss of confidence in the Justice system and the related issue of mob action Conduct of members of the Bar and legal education in Ghana. These are major issues I will address and find solutions to as I assume office. Support for the Judiciary The Judiciary requires the full support of all citizens and institutions in Ghana. Its success means the success of Ghana and our democratic endeavour. I cannot but restate, as I did at the vetting session, that it is when the justice system breaks down that a nation breaks down. Appreciation In conclusion, I wish like to thank Your Excellency, Parliament and the Council of State once again for my appointment. I commend the immediate past Chief Justice for her invaluable contribution to the Judiciary and the modernization of justice delivery system of Ghana. I am thankful to my colleagues on the Supreme Court, all Judges and Magistrates, Judicial Officers and Staff of the Judicial Service and to the Ghana Bar Association for their support. I will be counting on your continued support and cooperation in the months ahead to discharge my mandate. Appreciation of Family I am grateful also to my family members, fellow church members and friends and eternally grateful above all to the good Lord for his bountiful mercies and His faithfulness. I know that, indeed, the Lord can do all things and that no purpose of his can be thwarted. Thank you and God bless our Homeland Ghana and make our Nation great and strong. Prev Next