The Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has asserted that Ghana’s justice system must be firmly anchored on leadership, innovation, and technology.
He stated that this strategic focus is essential to ensure the judicial system remains relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie delivered these remarks at a special church service marking the opening of the 68th Legal Year in Accra on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
According to him, justice delivery cannot remain static while society 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.
He further elaborated that judges, administrators, and officers of the court must model integrity, impartiality, and humility while simultaneously inspiring efficiency and service.
“The Bar also carries the responsibility of leadership by advocating diligently, ethically, and responsibly,” he posited.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie acknowledged several challenges confronting the judicial system, including heavy caseloads, case backlogs, limited resources, and procedural delays, stressing the urgency of adopting new systems to address them.
“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 their complementary role to litigation? How can we empower vulnerable groups – women, children, and the marginalised – to access justice with dignity and without fear?”
He emphasised that technological integration is now a necessity, not an experiment.
“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 analysed to monitor court performance.”
The Acting Chief Justice cautioned, however, that technology must not introduce new inequalities:
“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 modernised justice systems.”
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