Ayikoi Otoo, a former Attorney General, has chastized Albert Kan-Dapaah, the National Security Minister, over his caution regarding the perception that a judiciary is biased and has dire consequences on the country’s security.
According to Ayikoi Otoo, judges do not determine cases on party lines even though the perception of bias exists and that the Minister should have sought legal advice before making the statement.
To Ayikoi Otoo, judges give rulings based on law and not feelings and the National Security Minister would have said something different if he had spoken to a legal practitioner before mounting the platform at the programme.
“I’m sorry to say that, I don’t think he sought legal advice [before commenting] because the judges have taken an oath to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour, ill-will and affection.
“He was saying that if someone brings a bad case, the Supreme Court must give a decision to favour that person merely because every time ruling for you will make people feel there is something wrong?” he quizzed while speaking on Joy FM, Monday, April 11, 2022.
Albert Kan-Dapaah, speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the national security strategy for judges of the superior courts, warned that the perception that the judiciary is biased has dire consequences on the country’s security.
He said if it is not checked, it will compel the citizenry to take the law into their own hands for personal satisfaction with the bench deemed biased.
“Injustice occasioned as a result of the absence of an effective justice delivery system or delayed justice or biased justice is certainly a threat to national security.
“Indeed, when injustice abounds, particularly in situations where the bench, which is considered the final arbiter of disputes, is deemed biased, citizens tend to take the law into their own hands most times without recourse to the established systems of justice delivery,” he said.
Ayikoi Otoo added, “If the interpretation of the law is tilted in our favour all the time, people will start accusing the judiciary and will not have the confidence that they need.”
