Judges, magistrates working without basic support-Justice Kwofie

President of the Association, Justice Henry Kwofie, raised strong concerns about what he described as the chronic neglect of judges’ welfare and resources.

Opening the annual conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), which focused on the theme “Leveraging Technology to Enhance Justice Delivery”, Justice Kwofie said that the judiciary continues to operate under unacceptable conditions of financial and logistical deprivation, despite Parliament’s approval of allowances.

According to him, judges and magistrates have gone two to three quarters without their allowances, leaving many lower-bench officers compelled to use personal funds to perform official duties.

One example, he recounted, involved a judge who personally financed a 16km trip from Buipe to Dambai to hear cases. Justice Kwofie described the situation as both untenable and demoralising, warning that it undermines justice delivery in the country.

He appealed to the Attorney-General to escalate the matter to the “appropriate quarters” for urgent resolution, stressing that judicial officers—barred from engaging in other work—must be given the necessary support to carry out their constitutional role effectively.