President John Dramani Mahama has reminded Ghana’s newly appointed Appeal Court Judges that their elevation comes at a time when confidence in the justice system is under intense public scrutiny.
Addressing the swearing-in ceremony at Jubilee House on Thursday, October 2, where 21 High Court Judges were officially elevated to the appellate bench, the President said the judiciary must not view criticism as hostility but as a signal that Ghanaians still believe in the courts.
“Criticism of judgments is not the end of hope; it is the evidence of hope,” he stressed, noting that the public’s willingness to challenge rulings is proof that citizens expect the courts to remain credible and relevant.
Mr. Mahama, however, warned against what he described as the creeping danger of cynicism—the perception that justice only serves the privileged.
He urged the new judges to deliver rulings that reinforce fairness and integrity in order to prevent disillusionment with the judicial system.
The new appointments, which include distinguished traditional leader Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, are expected to strengthen the appellate bench at a crucial time for Ghana’s democracy.
President Mahama concluded by charging the judges to serve as custodians of justice and symbols of hope, stressing that their conduct and rulings must reflect the judiciary’s duty to every Ghanaian, not just the powerful.
