The latest Afrobarometer survey shows that Ghanaian judges and courts are corrupt and biased, and that they tilt cases in favour of the rich.
Respondents to the latest survey cite high legal costs, a bias in favour of the rich and powerful, and long delays as the three main factors that are fast eroding public confidence in the legal system.
The Afrobarometer survey by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) sampled 2,400 adult Ghanaians between 16 September and 3 October 2019 with a 95% confidence level shows that even though most Ghanaians endorse the legitimacy of the courts, they see court officials as corrupt and untrustworthy, and believe people are treated unequally under the law.
“The findings show that among those who had contact with the justice system during the previous year, many rate the system as high on corruption and low on fairness and transparency,” the researchers at Afrobarometer explained.
“Ghana is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Maputo Protocol, both of which oblige the state to ensure that citizens have access to the delivery of justice. But conditions necessary to ensure efficient and equal access to judicial systems, such as affordability, proximity, comprehensibility, and responsiveness, are not in place for a number of Ghanaians.”
Some of the key highlights of the survey show that more than three-fourths of Ghanaians say the president – and ordinary citizens – must obey the courts and laws. More than eight in 10 Ghanaians (85%) say at least “some” judges and magistrates are corrupt, including 40% who say this about “most” or “all” of these court officials.
Disturbingly, fewer than half of respondents say they trust courts “a lot” (16%) or “somewhat” (32%).
Among respondents who had contact with the judicial system during the previous year: About half (52%) rate the level of corruption in the judicial system as “high” or “very high.” o Fewer than one in three rate the judicial system favourably (with “high” or “very high” ratings) on independence (31%), professionalism (30%), fairness (21%), responsiveness (18%), and transparency (16%).
The findings mean that the newly appointed Chief Justice Justice Anin Yeboah will have his work cut out in cleaning the Aegean House of Ghana’s judiciary.
Findings by the Afrobarometer findings are mostly trusted because they are compiled based on non-partisan research network that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions and related issues across Africa.