Justice Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo at the vetting committee
A Supreme Court Justice nominee, Justice Gertrude Esaaba Torkornoo, has suggested that judges and lawyers in Ghana should wear African prints to court since most of the jurisdictions which introduced the wearing of gowns, bibs and wigs by judges are undergoing reforms in their dressing to the court room.
She said the wearing of the African prints would be more appropriate to suit our tropical weather conditions instead of judges and lawyers wearing gowns, bibs and wigs in the ‘burning’ heat of Africa, especially in Ghana.
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She explained that the wearing of African prints to the courtroom would also help judges to disguise themselves since judges could become subjects of physical attacks.
She made the suggestion when she appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday for her vetting to the Supreme Court.
A member of the Appointments Committee and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had sought the view of the Supreme Court justice-designate on the need for urgent reforms in the way judges and lawyers dress to the court to which she completely agreed.
She said that there was a time that the Judicial Council gave a directive that judges going to sit on civil cases could attend the sittings in casual attires but in criminal cases they should be fully robed.
She also suggested that curriculum and syllabuses at the Ghana School of Law must be specifically designed to let students who want to become solicitors to solely concentrate on solicitor syllabus and those who want to apply their trade in the court room to also be given specific training in becoming courtroom practitioners.
She was of the view that delays in administering justice were becoming frustrating enough, thereby affecting many homes and businesses.
She said having sat in the Commercial Courts before, she has realized that delays were seriously affecting businesses. “Delay of justice is very inimical to growth of businesses in the country,” she stressed.
She, however, proposed that Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) could be the best remedy for businesses to resolve their problems since it is cheaper, less expensive and faster to resolve differences.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr
