According to him, many citizens lack basic knowledge of their rights and court procedures, often becoming confused when they appear before the court.

He believes regular civic education is essential and suggested that every Ghanaian should visit a court at least once a year as part of public education efforts.

He made the remarks during an interaction with 40 girls from 32 schools in the Kwahu Afram Plains North and South districts, who were participating in a career-focused vacation camp organized by World Vision Ghana.

As part of the program, the students toured the district court, immigration office, police station, and fire service to gain insight into the work of public institutions.

His Worship also encouraged the students to take their studies seriously and consider careers in the judiciary and public service.

Elvis Nuamah Ampong, Program Officer for Reading and Enhancement at World Vision Afram Plains, emphasized that the initiative was aimed at building confidence and broadening the horizons of students—many of whom come from remote communities with limited exposure to such institutions.

He urged the girls to share the knowledge they had acquired with their peers.

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The chief inspector opened fire on the Makadara Principal Magistrate, Monica Kivuti as soon as she had made a ruling.

The case allegedly involved the Policeman’s wife.

The officer is said to have been angered by the court’s decision to cancel bail to his wife.

The angry officer then fired shots at the Magistrate, injuring her.

Other officers in court responded immediately, with one of them shooting the offending Policeman and killing him.

In the process, three other officers were injured, a Police situation report noted.

The magistrate and the injured officers are being treated in hospital.

The judiciary said the Magistrate had “cancelled the bond for an accused person who had jumped bond and had failed to offer satisfactory explanations for jumping bond”.

“Immediately this decision was pronounced, a person shot at the Magistrate and injured her on the hip,” it said in a statement.

It noted initial reports that indicated “that the shooter is a police officer who is married to the suspect”.

Investigations into the incident are continuing.

The judiciary has said it will enhance security measures and has assured judicial staff and other court users of their safety and security.

“As the judiciary family, we wish our colleague a quick recovery. We also send our condolences to the family of the officer who lost his life in this unfortunate incident,” said Chief Registrar of the judiciary Winfridah Mokaya.

Addressing a group of 23 newly sworn-in magistrates in Accra on Monday, March 4, CJ Torkornoo highlighted the significance of maintaining impartiality, especially when faced with submissions from opposing parties in legal proceedings.

She underscored that without an independent mindset, magistrates risk being influenced by overbearing litigants, which could compromise the integrity of their judgments.

Justice Torkornoo urged the new magistrates to leverage their competence in delivering justice for the benefit of the Ghanaian populace.

“As a judge, you are required to always remember the ethical values with which you are supposed to conduct your work,” Justice Torkornoo said.

“And we (Judges) speak not only working on truth or fairness but also working in propriety, working in independence and working in competence.

“Now talking about independence, you are going to be receiving submissions from lawyers on opposite sides and you are going to also receive the words of litigants on opposite sides,” he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe shared on their X account how the accused and the bribery planned to turn a verdict into a innocent one beyond the court.

Details of the Alleged Bribery

According to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Mashaire allegedly received groceries, stationery, and a Defy Microwave from the defendant, Allen Bhaswi, in September 2023.

The gifts were purportedly given as a token of appreciation for the favourable ruling in Bhaswi’s case.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that the accused and Bhaswi went beyond a professional relationship, engaging in communication before and after court sessions.

The case, which concluded in December 2023, resulted in a ruling in favour of Allen Bhaswi.

It is alleged that Mashaire accepted a Solo Defy Microwave, groceries, and stationery as gifts from Bhaswi. Law enforcement officers later discovered the stove at Mashaire’s residence, providing further evidence of the alleged bribery.

Even after the conclusion of the case, Mashaire’s involvement did not cease. The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) appealed the judgment in the Allen Bhaswi case.

Mashaire reportedly continued to advise Bhaswi on the legal proceedings at the High Court. An additional allegation states that Mashaire received USD450 through Ecocash from Bhaswi.

Terence Mashaire has been remanded in custody and is set to appear in court on 4 March 2024 for a bail ruling.

The scandal has raised concerns about the integrity of the judiciary. The potential influence of external factors on legal decisions is being questioned.

He said the piecemeal approach in dealing with their allowances leaves much to be desired.

Justice Dzamefe, therefore, called on the government to better their conditions of service as the current state of affairs is nothing to write home about.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of the Association in Accra on Wednesday, Justice Dzamefe said it has now become an annual battle to get the allowances paid.

He said they are particularly concerned about the delays in payment of their allowances, a situation they described as sad.

“Year in year out, we have complained about this issue of nonpayment of allowances or delays in doing so. But, like we said in 2019, payment of allowances has become one of the biggest issues for the Association.

“It is sad that judges in Ghana will have to fight every year for their legitimate allowances to be paid. To say the least, it is sad that the leadership of the Association has to trek to the Ministry of Finance and Controller and Accountant General’s Department and Audit Service for allowances to be paid. Therefore, we have to fall on friends at the seat of government to push for such allowances to be paid,” he stressed.

Citing fuel allowances as an example, Justice Dzamefe said, “as of September 2021, we still have not received any fuel allowance for the year.

“It is so frustrating, to say the least; without mincing words, we are so frustrated. We feel disrespected about the way our allowances are paid. As if it is a favour being done us,” Mr Dzamefe complained.

He expressed disquiet about the fact that for many years, fuel allowances are always paid in arrears, “it has always been a refund.

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“As usual, we use our own money from our taxed salaries to buy fuel, this is later refunded after so many months and taxed as if it was paid upfront. In effect, we pay double taxes for fuel. Tax on salaries and ex-pump taxes,” he stated.

The Chief Justice, Justice Anin-Yeboah, who was present at the ceremony, acknowledged the challenging circumstances under which members work but urged them to try and win the trust of the public, “we have serious constraints as an institution. In a population of over 30 million, we have less than 404 Judges and Magistrates administering justice in a litigious society like Ghana.

“The courts of justice may not easily be accessible to the poor or the legally aided litigant. However, we have to do our best within the limited logistics constraints to serve the justice needs of our compatriots.”

For example, from central Accra to Nsawam, there is not a single court on that stretch until Amasaman. This should not happen in any civilised society. The same situation is true for Kumasi. From Kumasi central to Obuasi, there is no court on the way and that is a distance of about 36 miles.

The Chief Justice said, these constraints notwithstanding, members of the judiciary need to adjust to them in the hope that government will apply more resources to provide court infrastructure to support justice delivery in the country.

He used the occasion to applaud the Executive and the Legislature for the construction of new courts under the District Assembly Common Fund, “the judiciary is now to receive over a hundred courts throughout the country within the next year,” Justice Anin-Yeboah announced.