Ghana has taken a decisive step toward rebuilding confidence in its justice system. A newly passed Constitutional Instrument (C.I)—the culmination of years of negotiations and institutional dialogue—marks a landmark reform aimed at improving the conditions of service for Judicial Service staff. These professionals—Clerks, Registrars, Bailiffs, and Secretaries—may not don robes, but they are the engine room of Ghana’s judiciary.
As a member of the three-person committee that drafted these recommendations in 2022, I welcome this milestone with measured optimism. But I’m also guided by an old Ghanaian proverb: “Do not trust the fried fish with the cat.” While the reform introduces long-overdue relief, we must confront a critical question—are we empowering transformation or merely reinforcing dysfunction?
This C.I goes far beyond pay raises. It provides for structured training, retooling, and resource improvements—interventions designed to eliminate systemic inefficiencies and restore professional dignity. These reforms come at a time when investor sentiment toward Ghana’s institutions is wavering. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (2025) projects a cumulative 15% decline in FDI over 2024–2025, mirroring World Bank regional trends. Justice sector bottlenecks and procedural delays are a significant part of that equation.
Still, skepticism lingers—and rightfully so. High-profile controversies, such as the Anas Aremeyaw Anas v. Kennedy Agyapong defamation case and its contradictory ruling abroad, have only deepened public distrust in Ghana’s judicial process. Improved welfare alone may not correct behavior, and the public fears we may be “feeding the cat” without first reforming its appetite.
Through my academic research on judicial weaponization across Africa, I have seen how fragile institutions erode—not just from underfunding, but from unchecked and undervalued personnel. A senior civil servant once told me: “Low pay fuels bribery and delays justice.” When justice becomes transactional, democracy suffers, investor risk premiums rise, and civil cohesion weakens.
That’s why this C.I should be viewed not only as a welfare package but as a strategic investment in national credibility. If properly implemented and complemented with rigorous oversight, the reform could:
• Deter corruption
• Improve case resolution timelines
• Rebuild civic trust
• Attract new economic partnerships
The potential spillover effects are significant. Visa applications in Ghana are projected to surge by 20% in 2025 (Ghana Immigration Service, 2025), reflecting larger West African migration trends tracked by UNHCR (2024). A credible justice system offers a stabilizing anchor. Meanwhile, aligning with ECOWAS judicial standards can bolster Ghana’s leadership in African governance.
The African Development Bank (2024) projects that judicial integrity could unlock over $500 billion in FDI across Africa by 2030—a figure Ghana must competitively position for.
This legislative achievement, however, is not the work of any single individual. It is the outcome
of focused institutional cooperation. I wish to commend my colleagues on the Conditions of
Service Review Committee, whose deep technical insights guided our process. Equally, I
recognize the National Executive Committee of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana
(JUSAG), and especially its President, Samuel Afotey Otu—whose persistent engagement with
stakeholders and government partners ensured that this proposal did not gather dust but gained
momentum.
But a well-fed cat, as the proverb warns, still needs watching. This is why the C.I’s success must be tethered to deeper reforms:
• Expand digital justice systems and e-filing infrastructure already in place in the Superior Courts
• Implement biannual performance audits across all administrative roles
• Strengthen whistleblower protections to incentivize internal accountability
• Mandate ethics training in promotion and onboarding processes
Culture must evolve alongside policy. Traditional rulers and religious leaders—often the first to intervene when their constituents face legal scrutiny—must shift from patronage to principle. Shielding misdeeds under the guise of loyalty undermines the rule of law and emboldens impunity.
If civic leaders do not model accountability, institutions cannot be expected to enforce it. This C.I is not the destination. It is a test of our national maturity and our appetite for real reform. From my cross-country research in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, one insight holds true: public trust in courts directly correlates with both economic resilience and democratic integrity. For MBAs and policymakers alike, this is not just a legal reform—it’s a market signal. It presents an opening to invest in institutional tech, co-develop public-private accountability frameworks, and design governance solutions that scale.
As Ghana positions itself within Africa’s projected $29 trillion economy by 2050 (McKinsey, 2023), we must anchor our ambitions in fairness, not fear; in justice, not performance optics. A functioning judiciary is not a luxury, it is a core enabler of growth, peace, and legitimacy. So, if we have, indeed, trusted the fried fish with the cat, let it be said that the cat was disciplined, the fish remained untouched, and Ghana’s justice system—finally—earned its trust.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, Kwame Mawuenyega Ackah, in his capacity as an MBA candidate at The University of Tulsa and a judicial reforms researcher. They do not represent the official position of the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Conditions of Service Review Committee, or The University of Tulsa. The article draws on the author’s academic research and committee experience but is intended for public discourse and does not reflect policy endorsements. All data and references, including projections and estimates, are sourced from cited materials (e.g., McKinsey, 2023; Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, 2025; World Bank, 2025; UNHCR, 2024) and are accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge as of July 2025.
By Kwame Mawuenyega Ackah, MBA Candidate, University of Tulsa, OK-USA | Judicial Reforms
Researcher | Former Member, Judicial Service Staff Conditions of Service Review Committee
