The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the Judicial Service to strengthen the deployment and use of modern technology in the justice delivery system of the country.

He said using modern technology at all levels would help to reduce cost, increase access to justice delivery, enhance transparency, and reinforce the trust of the public in the judicial system.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call in an address read on his behalf at the 14^th Annual Chief Justice’s Forum, held in Kumasi, on the theme: “Improving Access to Justice in a Pandemic Through the Use of Technology”.

Participants came from the Judicial Service, the Ghana Bar Association, National House of Chiefs, MDAs, local authorities, security agencies, NGOs, academia, commerce and industry, and faith-based organisations.

It aimed at bringing the stakeholders together to listen, introspect, challenge the status quo, and propose viable solutions to enhance justice delivery in Ghana.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying social limitations had challenged society to find new ways such as technological advancements to address the myriad of challenges.

The ideals of transparency, accountability and trust were vital drivers of sustained progress and development of the Judiciary, an important constitutional institution to aid good governance, where technology was critical.

As much as the Judicial Service had shown an unwavering commitment to invest in modern court infrastructure, it was also prudent to use technology to ensure the realisation of the broader objectives of improved access to justice at all levels of society, he said.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended the Judicial Service for holding virtual court sessions during legal vacations and that the introduction of the e-justice system, if effectively implemented, would help reduce delays and costs, while increasing access to justice for many people.

Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah said technology was helping the Judiciary to cut costs, become more efficient and avoid unnecessary delays in the administration of justice.

He said the e-justice system had made it possible for court users to file processes and make payments without the need to go to the court premises.

The system had also facilitated case allocation to judges, track progress, store electronic copies of case dockets and generate important statistics.

He expressed the Service’s commitment to ensuring that technology was deployed in the administration of justice in every part of the country.