The Ghana Judicial Service has issued a press release debunking ill and improper motives imputed to the Chief Justice’s legitimate exercise of administrative powers in re-assigning 2 High Court Judges.
According to the Service, these erroneous assumptions have been ascribed to the Chief Justice for transferring Justice Charles A. Wilson from the High Court in Tamale and Justice Douglas Asiedu to Bolgatanga.
In a statement signed by Judicial Secretary, Justice Cynthia Addo dated Thursday, December 31 the transfer was “to address a pressing administration challenge undermining the efficient delivery of justice in the Region” – one the Executive of the Ghana Bar Association is aware of.
“The Chief Justice, by a letter dated 10th December 2020 transferred Justice Charles A. Wilson from the High Court, Tamale, where there are three (3) High Court Judges currently, to the High Court, Bolgatanga, which has two (2) High Courts but only one Judge.
“Justice Wilson’s transfer was to take effect from January 2021, when the Christmas vacation would have ended and was directed to start work on 11th January 2021, until his release to return to Tamale, which is his station”.
According to the Judicial Service, Justice Douglas Seidu’s posting to Bolgatanga “was curtailed because of his previous practice as a lawyer in that town. It is this situation that necessitated Justice Wilson’s transfer to Bolgatanga to fill the vacuum, until such a time that a permanent replacement is made.
The statement further emphasized that “as of now, no warrant whatsoever has been issued to Justice Seidu to sit in Tamale from his station in Sunyani”.
By their statement, the general public is being reminded of the Chief Justice’s “administrative powers to issue warrants to judges to sit and determine on any day, urgent matters that have been placed before the Courts”.
They assured the public of their commitment to upholding the law at all times in the discharge of its mandate.
