Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo has emphasised the importance of independent decision-making for magistrates to ensure fair and just outcomes in cases.

Addressing a group of 23 newly sworn-in magistrates in Accra on Monday, March 4, CJ Torkornoo highlighted the significance of maintaining impartiality, especially when faced with submissions from opposing parties in legal proceedings.

She underscored that without an independent mindset, magistrates risk being influenced by overbearing litigants, which could compromise the integrity of their judgments.

Justice Torkornoo urged the new magistrates to leverage their competence in delivering justice for the benefit of the Ghanaian populace.

“As a judge, you are required to always remember the ethical values with which you are supposed to conduct your work,” Justice Torkornoo said.

“And we (Judges) speak not only working on truth or fairness but also working in propriety, working in independence and working in competence.

“Now talking about independence, you are going to be receiving submissions from lawyers on opposite sides and you are going to also receive the words of litigants on opposite sides," he said.