The Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, says Ghana’s justice system must be firmly anchored on leadership, innovation, and technology to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
In his message at a special church service to mark the opening of the 68th Legal Year in Accra on Saturday October 4, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie asserted that justice delivery cannot remain static while society itself continues to evolve.
“Our courts must therefore remain bastions of fairness, impartiality and accountability. Yet we must also recognise that justice is not static. The world around us evolves, and so too must our methods, tools, and leadership. To remain relevant, justice delivery must be anchored on three critical pillars: leadership, innovation and technology,” he said.
The Acting Chief Justice explained that leadership in the judiciary must go beyond the adjudication of cases.
According to him, judges, administrators, and officers of the court must model integrity, impartiality, and humility while inspiring efficiency and service. The Bar, he added, also carries the responsibility of leadership by advocating diligently, ethically, and responsibly.
On innovation, he noted that the challenges facing Ghana’s justice system — including heavy caseloads, case backlogs, limited resources, and procedural delays — cannot be solved by continuing to do things the way they have always been done.
“Innovation demands that we ask difficult questions: How can we simplify procedures without sacrificing fairness? How can we strengthen alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to increase its complementary role to litigation? How can we empower vulnerable groups – women, children and the marginalized – to access justice with dignity and without fear?”
Touching on technology, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie stressed that its role is no longer optional but essential for the future of justice.
“Electronic case management, and digital registries are no longer optional experiments — they are the new frontiers of justice. Embracing technology enhances transparency by allowing litigants to track their cases, reduces delays by automating repetitive processes and widens access by breaking geographical barriers.
“It also strengthens accountability by providing data that can be analyzed to monitor court performance.”
He, however, cautioned that digitisation must be inclusive. “Technology must not create new divides between those who can access it and those who cannot. As we digitise, we must ensure that no citizen is left behind — that rural communities, the elderly and those without digital literacy are equally empowered to benefit from modernized justice systems.”
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