The Judicial Service of Ghana has explained that, contrary to certain publications in some Ghanaian newspapers, transfers within the judiciary are not meant to bring ongoing cases to a dead end. They are annual administrative processes that are carried out, depending on the situation with judges who serve in various courts across Ghana, the Judicial Service said.
In a press release issued by the service’s communications department, the third arm of government states that its attention “has been drawn to news publication by Herald Newspaper, The Herald Ghana news portal and other media platforms, which is misleading and creates the impression of ill motives regarding the Chief Justice’s exercise of her administrative mandate to transfer judges”.
“The said publication, under the heading ‘Chief Justice scatters Special Prosecutor’s anti-corruption fight … with strange transfer of judge a year after Kissi Agyebeng publicly cried over frustration’, indicates that ‘Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori, who presided over the criminal trial of Alex Kwabena Safo Kantanka, was transferred just when she was due to deliver judgment.’
“The Judicial Service of Ghana wishes to provide the correct facts and background as follows:
“Administratively, transfer of judges is done annually and/or when they are necessitated by the circumstances of judges or the court they serve in. In every case, judges on transfer are supposed to deliver judgments in cases they have completed and to complete cases they have heard close to completion,” the Judicial Service statement says.
“There are standard procedures for transferred judges to follow, including submission of a case completion plan, to the Office of the Chief Justice, which allows a warrant to be issued to the judge to deliver outstanding judgments and rulings, and to complete trials that are near completion.
Outstanding judgments
“Just like other transfers within the judiciary, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori, who presided over the criminal trial of Alex Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka, has been transferred from Kumasi to Accra,” the release by the Judicial Service further says.
The Service says the transfer was “part of the 2024 beginning of legal year transfers of more than twenty judges at all levels of court. The judge has presented the list of all outstanding judgments and rulings, and has been authorised to deliver all outstanding judgments and rulings,” and, on Friday 29 November 2024, “she presented the required case completion plan for a warrant to complete cases that are close to completion”.
“The Judicial Service of Ghana hereby reiterates that transfers are not done or intended to truncate cases. It is hoped that the above stated facts will afford members of the public the correct perspective on the issue of transfers in the judiciary generally and the said judge in particular.
“The Judicial Service further entreats members of the media to painstakingly cross-check their facts and verify information, so as to carry factual and balanced reports to the public,” the Service press statement concludes.
Source: Asaaseradio