The retired Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Anglican Church and Archbishop Emeritus of the Church of the Province of West Africa, Most Reverend Dr. Robert Garshong Okine, has admonished members of the judiciary to be mindful and discreet in how they exercise the power invested in them by the Constitution, as the third arm of government.
According to the Archbishop, power had the tendency to corrupt, since it could determine an individual’s or a family’s fate in life, saying, “Power can build or destroy.”
He continued that unlimited power corrupts the conscience, hardens the heart, and confounds the understanding, which the judiciary must be wary of.
Most Rev. Dr. Okine gave these words of exhortation while preaching a sermon on “Improving access to justice in a pandemic through the use of technology,” at the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Accra, on Saturday, October 1, 2022.
The Archbishop was also addressing a special church service of the 65th Legal Year, which is held annually, and had in attendance the Chief Justice, Akwasi Anin Yeboah, and other members of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, and members of the Ghana Bar Association.
The Archbishop gave the legal congregation 10 proposals to pounder over while they start their New Year, as well as reflect on them in the future.
The legal eruditions were urged by the Most Rev. Dr. Okine not to sacrifice integrity for expediency, should be careful about people they associate with, and should be consistent in all utterances and actions, and comport themselves at all times.
He continued that they should avoid complacency in all their doings, be courageous, patriot, refrained from corrupt acts and influences, cultivate the right philosophies of life, and be thankful.
Most Rev. Dr. Okine said: “Love of commitment is one of the major hindrances to progress and development. As Christians, we do not only have to worship God and love our neighbor, but need also to be committed to mirroring God’s love to those around us, whether as individuals, families, Professionals Association like yours, or a nation as ours, we need to be totally committed if we want to succeed.”
He further said inconsistency was one of the problems Jesus had to deal with in handling his opponents – the Pharisees and Sadducees.
On the theme, he likened the COVID-19 pandemic to the Spanish flu, which struck the world some 100 years ago.
The Archbishop added that while the pandemic had exposed human vulnerabilities, technology had stepped in as a great benefactor of humankind, offering higher living standards through improved communications.
According to him: “… Just justice as you are aware is at the heart of human interactions and matters to everyone, hence access to it is a fundamental human right. It says the advancement of technology means that we do not have to be physically present to perform a task.
“We must embrace the power of technology to enhance access to justice. Thank God, access to technology is making life and things easier in our contemporary world and the justice system cannot be left behind.”
Chief Justice Yeboah read the 1st Bible reading, Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, the second was by Godfred Dame, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18, and third by the President of the Ghana Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, Mathew 5:1-16.
