Mrs. Jane Acquah, Ladies and gentlemen, an opportunity to say a few words about such an illustrious and distinguished man of this country cannot be turned down. I am grateful to the widow and family of the late Chief Justice George Kingsley Acquah, for extending an invitation to me to attend this 10th Anniversary of his home call.
I had the privilege to know the late Chief Justice Acquah during his time on earth. He was a respectable and decent man. I remember his days at the University of Ghana, Legon, although he was my senior. He excelled as one of the most diligent lawyers in Cape Coast and the courts in which he practised, until his appointment as a Justice of the High Court in 1989.
On the bench, the late Chief Justice Acquah distinguished himself as an eminent jurist and rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1995. In my practice as a lawyer, I appeared before him as a member of the panel of the Supreme Court in cases that have shaped our constitutional jurisprudence, including Mensah v. Attorney-General [1997-98] 1 GLR 227 and Republic v. Tommy Thompson Books Limited and Others (No 1) [1997-98] 1 GLR 611.
As Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, I appeared before him, when he sat as a member of the panel of the Supreme Court in Amidu v. Kufuor and Others [2001-2002] 2 GLR 510 and Tsikata v. Attorney-General [2001-2002] 2 GLR 1, where he was a part of the original minority, and subsequent majority on review of a case that gripped the public attention of our nation.
With all these constitutionally decided cases in his armoury of judgments, it came as no surprise to me, and many others in the legal fraternity, when my former boss, President John Agyekum Kufuor, appointed him as the eleventh Chief Justice of the Republic in July 2003, an appointment that was fitting for a man who was so deeply committed to the principle of judicial independence.
As Chief Justice, he helped champion the efforts to reform and codify the laws of Ghana’s customary dispute resolution. He will be remembered for his initiative to improve the excellence of the Judicial Service, and justice delivery in Ghana. And I am pleased to see that his efforts and initiatives have been continued, even more vigorously by his successor, Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood.
The late Chief Justice Acquah’s excellent service to the public earned him the award, Order of the Star of Ghana, the highest honour in Ghana.
I cannot end my remarks without making these two observations, which I am certain that the late Chief Justice Acquah would agree with.
Firstly, there is a consolable concern within the Ghanaian public about the integrity of our judicial system. It was badly damaged a couple of years ago by a video exposé put together by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Confidence, in the judicial system of any country, is necessary for a thriving democracy and economic growth, and as such, all of us, including members of the bar and the bench, have a duty to guard the integrity of the judicial process jealously.
Secondly, our judicial system must catch up with modern technology. The question has been asked: is the court a service or a place where parties meet to settle their differences. I believe that it is time for us to accept that justice delivery is a service and just like any other service, the customer must be satisfied with the entire process of the service, in this case, justice. When we have an efficient delivery of justice through our courts, investors, domestic and foreign, will be encouraged to invest their resources in Ghana because they can be assured of an efficient and business-friendly judicial system. The late Chief Justice Acquah was a firm supporter of the introduction of technology in the operations of the judicial system.
It is my prayer that the soul of the late Chief Justice Acquah will continue to rest in perfect peace in the bosom of our Lord. May his legacy inspire many generations to come.
Thank you and may God bless us all.
