Ghanaian lawyers refusing to join the bench – Emile Short

A former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Francis Emile Short has revealed that the judicial council is struggling to convince lawyers to join the bench.

According to him, the situation appears to have been influenced by the perception of insufficient remuneration for members of the bench.

His comments come on the back of the massive corruption scandal that has hit the judiciary. A two-year long investigation by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has exposed corrupt practices in Ghana’s judiciary. The video evidence captured by Anas and his team implicated 34 judges and magistrates allegedly taking bribes to rule on cases before them.

Commenting on the matter Friday, Justice Short told Morning Starr host Nii Arday Clegg that the whole exercise of recruiting lawyers to join the bench must be reviewed in order to make it robust.

“I am reliably informed by an authoritative source at the Judiciary that in recent times, it’s been very difficult to get lawyers to go on the bench because private practice is more lucrative than going on the bench.

“So most lawyers are not really attracted to go on the bench,” He stated.

He said it is important that the judicial council consults fellow lawyers and colleagues of individuals they intend calling to join the bench.