President John Dramani Mahama has called on the newly sworn-in justices of the Court of Appeal to demonstrate courage, integrity, and humility in their service to the nation.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 20 new justices at the Presidency, President Mahama outlined three virtues he expects the justices to carry in their new roles.
“The first is courage. The second is integrity. And the third is humility,” he said.
The President explained what he means by courage. “Courage to resist pressure, whether political or financial. And to uphold the law even when it is unpopular,” he stated.
On integrity, he said justices must ensure that justice cannot be bought, delayed, or bent by influence.
“Integrity to ensure that justice cannot be bought, delayed, or bent by influence,” he emphasized.
President Mahama told the justices that humility means remembering that power is given not to rule over people, but to serve them.
“Humility to remember that power is given not to rule over the people, but to serve the people,” he said.
He urged the justices to be not only arbiters of law but also custodians of hope. “Carry with you the solemn truth that justice is the most powerful promise of our democracy, and that through your service, this promise would endure,” he added.
The President noted that history remembers not those who followed the path of least resistance but those who stood firmly for principle when it mattered most.
“At this moment in our national journey, Ghanaians need reason to hold on to hope. They need to believe again that the courts are not distant temples of law, but living guardians of fairness. Every decision you make can rekindle that belief. Every ruling you make can remind citizens that Ghana is still a land where truth prevails and justice is not for sale,” he said.
President Mahama told the justices that their judgments should not silence criticism but inspire confidence in the people.
“Let your judgments reassure Ghanaians that while we may debate outcomes, we can never doubt your integrity, your impartiality, and your fidelity to the national constitution,” he stated.
He explained that the Court of Appeal is the people’s court of renewal where errors are corrected, injustices are reversed, and principles are reaffirmed that no wrong is beyond remedy.
“For many Ghanaians, the Court of Appeal is often the last hope for justice when all other avenues have been exhausted. And that is why the authority we assume today is not only legal but profoundly moral. You hold in your hands the power to heal wounds, to restore confidence, and to guide our nation towards fairness,” he said.
The President noted that citizens have openly and sometimes harshly questioned judicial decisions in recent times. He said criticism of judgments is not the end of hope but evidence of hope.
“It shows that Ghanaians still believe in the courts, that justice still matters, and that verdicts have meaning in their lives. What we must guard against is cynicism. The corrosive belief that the courts no longer serve the people, but only the powerful in society,” he added.
President Mahama told the justices that as they take their oaths, they swear not only before him as president and not only before the Chief Justice but before God, before history, and before the people whose lives they will touch with their judgments.
“If you do this, then long after you have left the bench, your names will not be merely recorded in law reports. They will be remembered in the hearts of Ghanaians as justices who renewed our faith in our republic,” he said
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
