A mob of mostly young men and women, claiming that the Dzodze court registrar was “morally bankrupt and corrupt”, took the law in their own hands last week and invaded the court premises and beat him up.
In reaction, the Judicial Service issued a statement on Monday condemning the act and appealed to the good sense of the people in the township, in particular, and Ghanaians in general.
The service, in the statement, acknowledged that public officials who misconduct themselves must be made to face full rigours of the law.
Indeed, it pointed out, the Chief Justice had set up a committee to investigate the allegations against the said registrar.
If it is true – and there is no reason to doubt the word of the Chief Justice – that the registrar is being investigated, it only means that the people of the township had, in some time past, petitioned the Chief Justice over the matter.
If, in spite of the petition and the promise that it was receiving attention, the people have gone ahead to take the law in their own hands to assault the registrar, it means that somebody or a group of people may have gone round deceiving the people into believing that the powers-that-be were dragging their feet on the issue.
The question is: is it true that the petition was overstaying at the Office of the Chief Justice?
Only this week, the Chief Justice has had occasion to appeal to members of the Judicial Service – registrars, bailiffs etc – not to put up justice for sale; in other words not to demand and receive bribes.
Granted, many public officials have so misconducted themselves over the years that the public have lost confidence in the ability of the public system to take care of their interest and protect them. For the Judiciary, this loss of the public’s confidence is what has led to instant justice by mobs of aggrieved people.
That, however, does not, and can never justify the barbaric attack on the poor registrar. Knowing the character of mob actions, especially in Ghana, we are very sure that if one or two people in that crowd had paused to investigate the issues dispassionately, they would have come to a conclusion that would have stayed their unjustified anger.
An example was the era of lynching of people just because someone shouted that his genital had disappeared at the touch of an innocent person.
The reaction was instantaneous: lynching. No questions asked.
Unfortunately, most of the time, people in a crowd do not pause to ask questions. Some of the time, the issues are personal.
For all that the people may find out one day, the ring leaders may have a personal axe to grind with the registrar.
By that time it might be too late: someone would have lost his or her life.
This country cannot continue to be governed by brawn and lawlessness.
Might should not be allowed to replace right.
The coercive powers of the state must be used to guard the integrity of the law.
Democracy is not talk; democracy is the rule by the law, and the law should be seen to be mightier that any other.
The day the people lose confidence in the judicial system, the state would have ceased to exist.
In reaction, the Judicial Service issued a statement on Monday condemning the act and appealed to the good sense of the people in the township, in particular, and Ghanaians in general.
The service, in the statement, acknowledged that public officials who misconduct themselves must be made to face full rigours of the law.
Indeed, it pointed out, the Chief Justice had set up a committee to investigate the allegations against the said registrar.
If it is true – and there is no reason to doubt the word of the Chief Justice – that the registrar is being investigated, it only means that the people of the township had, in some time past, petitioned the Chief Justice over the matter.
If, in spite of the petition and the promise that it was receiving attention, the people have gone ahead to take the law in their own hands to assault the registrar, it means that somebody or a group of people may have gone round deceiving the people into believing that the powers-that-be were dragging their feet on the issue.
The question is: is it true that the petition was overstaying at the Office of the Chief Justice?
Only this week, the Chief Justice has had occasion to appeal to members of the Judicial Service – registrars, bailiffs etc – not to put up justice for sale; in other words not to demand and receive bribes.
Granted, many public officials have so misconducted themselves over the years that the public have lost confidence in the ability of the public system to take care of their interest and protect them. For the Judiciary, this loss of the public’s confidence is what has led to instant justice by mobs of aggrieved people.
That, however, does not, and can never justify the barbaric attack on the poor registrar. Knowing the character of mob actions, especially in Ghana, we are very sure that if one or two people in that crowd had paused to investigate the issues dispassionately, they would have come to a conclusion that would have stayed their unjustified anger.
An example was the era of lynching of people just because someone shouted that his genital had disappeared at the touch of an innocent person.
The reaction was instantaneous: lynching. No questions asked.
Unfortunately, most of the time, people in a crowd do not pause to ask questions. Some of the time, the issues are personal.
For all that the people may find out one day, the ring leaders may have a personal axe to grind with the registrar.
By that time it might be too late: someone would have lost his or her life.
This country cannot continue to be governed by brawn and lawlessness.
Might should not be allowed to replace right.
The coercive powers of the state must be used to guard the integrity of the law.
Democracy is not talk; democracy is the rule by the law, and the law should be seen to be mightier that any other.
The day the people lose confidence in the judicial system, the state would have ceased to exist.
