The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) says the perception of corruption in the Judiciary has brought the image of that arm of government into disrepute, for which reason the bar has declared war on the canker in the justice delivery system. The association said while it was morally reprehensible for some judges to receive bribes to manipulate the course of justice, it was equally unacceptable for members of the bar to indulge in any acts of corruption. Addressing the opening session of the annual general meeting of the association in Cape Coast yesterday, the President of the GBA, Mr. Frank Beecham, said the GBA would fight corruption in all forms in the legal regime to help redeem the sinking image of the Judiciary. In late August this year, magistrates were dismissed by the Judicial Council for bribes from parties in two separate cases which were their courts. The two - Ms Linda Aklamanu, a magistrate of a Juvenile Court in Accra, Mr Pius Etse Kugblenu, a magistrate in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region - were said to have demanded bribes from litigants in two separate cases which were heard by their courts. They were dismissed August 30, 2011 after fact finding committee constituted by the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, had found them guilty. Mr Beecham said the GBA was committed to working to ensure that the rule of law was entrenched by a respectable Judiciary which was needed as a sure catalyst for national development. He said members of the Judiciary must ensure that they upheld the ethics of the Judicial Service, placing the interest of clients above personal interest. He said it was sad that the many accusations of corruption in the Judiciary had become louder and more abusive, making the institution an object of scorn and suspicion. Mr Beecham said the GBA would set up a complaints unit to take complaints concerning issues of corruption and ensure that offenders were brought to book. He said the GBA would embark on serious public education to ensure that “the wheat is separated from the tares”. He, however, cautioned against overly generalising issues of corruption in the media, saying there were some genuine hardworking members of the bench and the bar who were working to entrench the rule of law in the country. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Amidu, indicated that the nation’s current stability could be attributed to the independence of the Judiciary. He stated that while it was important for the government to help ensure that the Judiciary remained independent, it was also crucial for the Judiciary to work to keep itself independent of any foreign interference to help remove unnecessary tension and acrimony from society. He called on the Bar to also work to ensure that many more poor people had access to legal services and remove the perception that legal services were for the elite and the educated. He commended the GBA for its tremendous contribution towards entrenching the rule of law and democracy in the country. Mrs Justice Wood stated that the Judiciary, despite its problems, was working hard to ensure that the nation had an independent justice delivery system. She said it was important for all in the Judiciary to work to avoid all forms of impropriety and all appearance of it, adding that “there must be a perception and a reality that judges are fair and just to all to help restore the confidence of the nation in the Judiciary”. She noted that the lack of integrity in the Judiciary could easily threaten the rule of law, just like the lack of independence, and urged the Judiciary to avoid discriminatory acts and treat all persons equally. Mrs Justice Wood called for the removal of all forms of interference in the work of the Judiciary, saying an independent Judiciary was necessary if the nation was to attract the needed investors crucial for its rapid development agenda. She said it was necessary that the Judiciary gauged its success and challenges from time to time and developed essential interventions to keep it on track to support national development. She said a strong and respectable Judiciary would attract investors and help accelerate the pace of national development. The Chief Justice advised government authorities to work within the safeguards of the laws and ensure that they did nothing to interfere in the work of the Judiciary, while ensuring that they did not infringe on the liberties of the governed. The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, in her welcome address, advised the Bar to work to remove the delays and many adjournments of cases in court to enhance the timeous delivery of justice. The Chief Justice later inaugurated an Appeal Court at the office complex in Cape Coast to serve the Western and Central regions.