Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference Calls for Restoration of Trust in Judicial System
- Rev. Fr. Quaicoe calls for trust restoration in Ghana's judicial system
- Strong institutions, not strong individuals, key to national progress
- Level playing field and honest campaigning crucial for peaceful collaboration
Rev. Fr. Michael K. A. Quaicoe, Director for Governance, Justice, and Peace at the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has emphasized the urgent need to restore trust in the country’s judicial system.
In an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show, Rev. Fr. Quaicoe cited former U.S. President Barack Obama’s assertion that nations require robust institutions, not powerful individuals. He underscored the necessity for Ghana to build and maintain strong, trustworthy institutions.
“Strong institutions must function in a manner that ensures every citizen can trust them to fulfill their mandate without compromise,” Rev. Fr. Quaicoe explained. “So, if in fact, there are some constituencies of our country who have lost trust in our system, this time talking about the judiciary and others.”
He stressed the importance of rebuilding trust, describing it as the foundation of effective collaboration. “It is important that we all work towards restoring that trust because it is the bedrock of any collaboration; otherwise, if people have a lack of trust in the system, they won’t collaborate with the system and therefore would find other means of resorting their own redress,” he said.
Rev. Fr. Quaicoe further emphasized that all government institutions need to fortify their structures to foster peace based on the assurance that they will deliver their mandates impartially. He highlighted that trust among political parties is crucial, noting that a fair and equitable environment must be ensured, with no party receiving undue advantage.
Additionally, he called for political parties to uphold integrity in their communications and campaigns. “Political parties should be bearers of honest news and conduct their campaigns with a level of honesty that assures citizens they will not vote based on negative portrayals of opponents,” Rev. Fr. Quaicoe said.
He concluded by urging political parties to collaborate with state institutions, particularly the Electoral Commission, to ensure peace and integrity in the electoral process. “Because we do not gain much by demonizing others, yet the political party must also be willing to collaborate with institutions of state, especially the electoral commission and all those state apparatuses which must collaborate for this peace,” he added.
