HeadlineLegalNews

Contempt of court law keeps sanctity of the courts, says Torkornoo

The Chief Justice nominee said the tool [law on contempt of court] that the court has been given is to ensure that the peace and stability of the nation is not jeopardised

The Chief Justice nominee, Justice Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has said the law on contempt of court has always been a tool to protect the sanctity of the court.

Justice Torkornoo was answering a question from the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu on the summoning of persons before the court for contempt, especially by the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice nominee said if the Supreme Court is not alert and alive on the issues of contempt, lower courts in the country will suffer more.

Justice Torkornoo said the tool [contempt of court] that the court has been given is to ensure that the peace and stability of the nation is not jeopardised

She said: “We have close to 400 courts; we have five levels of courts…the Supreme Court is just one out of the 400 courts and the Supreme Court is the ultimate voice of authority for the entire judicial stream, if the Supreme Court is not alert and alive to its responsibility to ensuring that the justice system not denigrated beyond boundaries, those below us [Supreme Court] are likely to suffer much more than we.”

Watch the video below:

“And I can say that this is not a recent trend, the issuing of contempt summons has always been a tool that has been used by courts to ensure that the dignity of the court is not scandalised. If you go through the history of our systems you will find many examples… my simple answer will be that the court [Supreme Court] is one out of 400 courts, the [Supreme Court] is the ultimate voice and whenever the courts act whether it’s a high court, the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court acts using the tool of contempt it is to ensure that the justice system is not scandalised beyond boundaries.

On whether the practice [contempt of court] is not a barrier to freedom of expression, she said: “The tool of holding for contempt is an aged-long tool. It is one of the tools that the court has been given to ensure that the peace and stability of the nation is not jeopardised and I would be very careful to have a problem with any of the tools that the court has been given to administer justice.

Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo was nominated to the Supreme Court in November 2019 and received parliamentary approval in December 2019.

She was sworn in on 17 December 2019.

Torkornoo was nominated as Chief Justice following the retirement of Justice Anin-Yeboah retired on Wednesday, 24 May after he turned 70.

Asaase Radio 99.5 broadcasts on radio via 99.5 in Accra, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 100.3 in Cape Coast and on our affiliates Bawku FM 101.5 in Bawku, Beats FM 99.9 in Bimbilla, Somua FM 89.9 in Gushegu, Stone City 90.7 in Ho, Mining City 89.5 in Tarkwa and Wale FM 106.9 in Walewale
Tune in or log on to broadcasts 
online: www.asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
Live streaming: facebook.com/asaaseradio99.5. Also on YouTube: Asaase Radio Official.
Join the conversation. Call: 020 000 9951 or 059 415 7777. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995.

#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
#SafeMotorway4All

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

ALLOW OUR ADS