He said the growth of the country demanded that the Judiciary commanded the respect of the people by the quality of the delivery of justice and by the comportment of judges.

The new judges are Justices Dorothy Ayodele Kingsly-Nyinah and Ama Sefenya Ayittey.

At a ceremony at the Jubilee House, Accra, at which the President administered the oaths of allegiance and secrecy, as well the judicial oath, he congratulated them on their appointment.

He urged them to distinguish themselves in their work by exhibiting honesty, integrity, and sound knowledge of the law.

The President described as unacceptable “the situation where Judges proffered judgments on the basis of decisions from lower courts and cite them as law and even less so when Judges cite no authority at all for their rulings and give order without reasons.”

They should know their case law and ensure that their decisions and judgments were motivated correctly.

President Akufo-Addo implored the judges to ensure that they adjudicate cases with fear or favour, ill will or affection, and they must at all material times, protect the fundamental rights of the citizens.

He also charged them to be sensitive to undue delays that projected the image of Ghana as a destination where litigation took too long, stressing that “This affects the attractiveness of the country as an investment destination.”

The President asked the judges to harness the power of technology to advance the rule of law to maintain the confidence of Ghanaians and shore up the nation’s reputation as a country governed in accordance with the rule of law.

“We know that harnessing the power of technology to advance the rule of law is critical in this modern era, if we are to maintain the confidence of the Ghanaian people and shore-up our nations reputation as a country governed by the rule of law.

“I encourage both of you to take full advantage of the E-justice system in order to expedite the conduct of cases that comes before you and enhance the management of cases before the court,” he said.

Justice Kingsly-Nyinah thanked the President for the confidence reposed in her and her colleague.

She pledged that they would carry out their duties in accordance with the constitution and all other laws and that justice would be perceived to be done equitably.

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The Justices included Ebenezer Osei-Darko, Bernard Bentil, Alexander Graham, and Mercy Adei Kotei, who were all elevated from the Circuit Courts.

The rest are Mr. George Kwame Gyan-Kontoh, Mr. Richard Apietu, Mr. Eric Ansah Ankomah, Mrs. Cynthia Martinson, Dr. Mrs. Bridget Kafui Antonio-Apedzi and Ms. Nabeela Naeema Wahab. All joined the bench from private practice.

At a short ceremony at the Jubilee House, Accra, President Akufo-Addo congratulated them on their well-deserved appointment, and enforced the need for them to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and sound knowledge of the law to gain the confidence the people.

He urged them to eschew all forms and temptations of corruption throughout their journey as judges of the Superior Court of Judicature because “a corrupt or incompetent judge is a danger to the public interest and judicial administration.”

The President reminded the justices that the high court was the focal point for justice delivery in the country, adding “much of judicial work begins and ends there.”

“It is therefore critical for the growth of the nation that the High Court commands the respect of the people by the quality of its judgements as well as the comportment of its judges,” he stated.

President Akufo-Addo admonished the judges to avoid proffering judgements on the basis of decisions from lower courts and to employ the time-honoured common law tradition of precedence as the foundation for the coherent development of the law.

“You must be learned, know your case law, and ensure your decisions and judgements are properly motivated,” he said.

The President reinforced the fact that the dispensation of justice required that the application of the laws of the land must occur without fear or favour, affection or ill will, and without recourse to political, ethnic or religious affiliations.

“When a citizen falls foul of the law, that citizen, high or low, must be dealt with accordingly, and the law enforcement agencies including you our new judges must ensure this is done…that is the true meaning of the concept of equality before the law”

President Akufo-Addo also encouraged the judges to leverage technology to expedite the conduct of cases that came before them and in the management of the Courts.

He emphasized that the transparent and efficient delivery of justice builds confidence in citizens, businesses and the investor community.

The Government, the President told the Judges, had taken note of the inadequate numbers of courts in various parts of the country, resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts, and had decided to remedy this situation.

To that end, 60 district courts, 60 bungalows for judges, and three new high courts for three of the six newly created regions would be commissioned before the start of the legal year in October.

Additionally, Government, through the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, is constructing 100 new courts and bungalows for Judges in all 16 Regions of the country.

Justice Mercy Adei Kotei who spoke for her colleague justices expressed gratitude to the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged that they would work to justify their elevation.

“We promise to remain true to our oaths and to discharge our duties with diligence,” she said.

ASEPA argues that the non-disclosure of the assets and liabilities on the part of the judges is a contravention of article 286 of the 1992 Constitution.

That the Supreme Court Judges under-listed have failed to declare their assets and liabilities in accordance with Article 286 and also in breach of the six months grace period given to them under Asset Declaration Act to make a declaration, a statement issued by ASEPA read.

That the complainant, therefore, invokes the jurisdiction of CHRAJ to commence investigations into the allegations of non-disclosure of assets and liabilities against the under-listed Supreme Court Judges, the statement further read.

CHRAJ responding to the calls by ASEPA to investigate the non-disclosure of assets and liabilities by the Supreme Court and High Court Judges noted that the issue is receiving the needed attention and they will in due course inform ASEPA of the decisions taken.