BRIEF WELCOME REMARKS BY THE HON. LADY CHIEF JUSTICE, SOPHIA A.B. AKUFFO, AT A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTEGRATED CASE TRACKING SYSTEM FOR THE JUSTICE SECTOR IN GHANA, HELD ON TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017 AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM
Source: judicial_service_of_ghana

His Excellency, Robert P. Jackson, the US His Excellency, Robert P. Jackson, the US Ambassador to Ghana The Hon. Attorney General and Minister for Justice The Hon. Minister for Interior The Judicial Secretary My Lord Justices of the Superior Courts of Judicature The Director, Democracy and Governance, USAID and other Senior Officials of the US Embassy Distinguished Invited Guests It is with great pleasure and honour that I warmly welcome you all to this morning’s brief but nevertheless important meeting to discuss the design and implementation of an Integrated Case Tracking System for the justice sector in Ghana. I am especially delighted that the key actors in the justice sector are present at today’s event. The Judiciary as an institution is always committed to any effort that reduces the turnaround time for the disposal of cases at the courts without sacrificing due process or compromising the quality of justice that is produced at the end of the court process. This is particularly important in criminal trials where the liberty of an individual is at stake. There can be no justification whatsoever for the intolerable and sometimes interminable delays that undermine the criminal trial process. As an institution, we have on our own tried to use Information Communication Technology through our Electronic Case Management System to monitor work flowin order to facilitate the speedy hearing or trial of cases with the view to improving the turnaround time for the disposal of cases assigned to our Judges. Despite this, we still have grave challenges in quality service delivery. We are grateful to the USAID and the US Embassy for convening this meeting and initiating the process of discussing the design and implementation of an Integrated Case Tracking System for the Justice Sector in Ghana. It should be our collective expectation that upon the establishment of this Integrated Tracking System, we will be able to track criminal cases from their introduction into the system to their eventual disposal by the courts.I am confident that this Integrated Tracking System will improve information sharing and coordination among the key actors in the justice sector. Even as we welcome this initiative and commit ourselves to its realisation, we need to spend some time to discuss and find solutions to some of the challenges that may arise in the implementation and beyond. I am happy to note that the conveners of this meeting have anticipated some of these challenges which have been put together in the Concept Notes for this meeting and characterized as “key questions” for our consideration today and in our subsequent deliberations on this important initiative. Where will the central system be housed? How do we ensure that there is “buy in” from all levels in each agency? How can the system be sustainable beyond donor funds? What are the cost implications for maintenance and continuity? Who can give access? What other factors need to be taken into account? These searching questions speak to important matters. In a country where we often cry about money and the lack of it to finance our development, we in this room must collectively find creative funding solutions to guarantee the sustainability and continuity of the system. I am happy that both the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and the Minister for Interior are present at this meeting to carry these mutual concerns to the Executive in this regard. No doubt the State bears greater responsibility in this endeavour. The questions relating to the security of the system and the protocols that will determine access and its concomitant internal controls are so critical to assuring system integrity and the quality of its output. Because of the nature of the information which may be stored in the Integrated Tracking System, it is vital that the system is properly secured against both external threats and untoward internal manipulations. I envisage, for instance, that access to the system will be granted based purely on the user’s level of classification, such as strictly confidential, confidential and public, so as to protect and preserve the integrity of information stored therein. I am looking forward to an insightful presentation on the Integrated Case Tracking System and a constructive discussion among the key actors in the justice sector thereafter. I am hopeful that even as we adopt best practices elsewhere, we will incorporate into the design and implementation of the system, ideas that will be distilled at this meeting and in our future deliberations, to ensure that we come out with an Integrated Case Tracking System that will work well and serve the needs of the justice sector and improve justice delivery in Ghana. I thank you for your attention. Prev Next