The Volta and Oti Branch of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has urged Ghanaians to uphold the rule of law and resolve legal disputes through the courts rather than resorting to violence, as the nation commemorates Martyrs’ Day.
The Association said the annual observance serves as a reminder of the need to protect the independence of the judiciary and safeguard the country’s justice system.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the President of the Volta and Oti Bar, Mr Moses Ayine Asampoa, said June 30 was dedicated to honouring the memory of High Court judges Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Poku Sarkodie and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, as well as retired Major Sam Acquah, who were abducted and murdered on June 30, 1982.
He explained that the annual remembrance was instituted to ensure such attacks on members of the judiciary and the administration of justice never recur in Ghana.
Mr Asampoa stressed that judges and law enforcement officers should not be viewed as adversaries but as public servants carrying out responsibilities on behalf of the state.
He advised individuals dissatisfied with court rulings to seek redress through the appellate process instead of resorting to acts of violence.
“When a judge gives a decision and you are unhappy, the appropriate course of action is to appeal rather than take the law into your own hands,” he said.
Mr Asampoa also called on citizens to cooperate with the police and other security agencies, noting that compliance with lawful procedures was essential to maintaining peace, justice and national stability.
He urged the public to support law enforcement officers in the discharge of their duties and avoid actions that undermine the country’s democratic and judicial institutions.
As part of this year’s Martyrs’ Day observance, the Volta and Oti Bar will hold a commemorative ceremony at the forecourt of the Ho High Court to honour the slain judges and retired military officer while promoting greater public awareness of the importance of judicial independence and respect for the rule of law.
