We still have judges with integrity - Emile Short

Source: citifmonline.com - Retired Judge and former head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), Emile Short says regardless of the revelations made in Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest exposé on corruption in the judiciary, it would be inappropriate for the public to totally condemn all judges.

22 judges implicated in the judicial corruption scandal have been suspended by the Judicial Council while the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Woode, has ordered investigations into the matter.

A process has also commenced to determine whether a prima facie case can be made against the twelve High Court judges also captured in the exposé.

Over 100 court officials believed to have engaged in the alleged acts are also going to be pursued and disciplined after the investigative processes, according to the Chief Justice.

But speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Wednesday, the retired Judge said Ghanaians ought to be circumspect and not tag all judges as corrupt, adding that many judges are dispensing their duties with integrity.

“Normally, I am very reluctant to comment unless I have the concrete evidence of what is being alleged. I haven’t heard the audio, and I haven’t seen the video. Assuming that the report that I read in the Daily Graphic is correct, then of course the revelations are quite disturbing. But I think that we should allow due process to take its course. I think that we should also remember that even if the allegations are true, the persons involved are entitled to be heard because one is innocent until proven guilty, and so that’s the approach that we should be taking,” Mr. Short said.

“I also think that we must be careful about making general condemnation of the judiciary because there are many judges both men and women who are performing their duties with integrity. And the judiciary is such an important institution so we should make sure that we don’t undermine the confidence of the judiciary; but that will also depend on how this matter is handled by the judicial council and the Chief Justice,” he noted.

Though Anas’ two-year investigative piece titled ‘Ghana in the Eyes of God – Epic of Injustice,’ exposed judges taking bribes ostensibly to influence their judgments, it also came out that some judges rejected such inducements.

The shocking video is set to premiere at the Accra International Conference Centre on September 22, although reports had suggested there were attempts by some influential individuals to block its public showing.