It’s funny how the powerful men and women of the recent past are today jostling for attention, crying wolf and even attacking the same justice system they presided over a few months back.
The likes of Godfred Dame is today claiming that everything about our justice system is completely at variance with our democratic practice – He claims justice delivery is under threat.
Oh yes, we are talking about the same man who as Attorney-General had no difficulty subverting due processs by coaching a defendant to implicate a co-defendant in a criminal matter – Godfred Dame who saw no wrong regarding the appointment of NPP parlimentary candidate to the Supreme Court is today asking the good Ghana folks to speak out against what he describes as systematic judicial injustice.
Again, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo who famously averred not long ago that “The law is the law” is today asking the Supreme Court to waiver the constitutional injunction of Article 146(8) in the proceedings against her – The constitution says such proceedings “shall be held in camera,” but Justice Torkornoo wants a declaration that she’s entitled to a public hearing.
These two achieved astonishing power in Akufo-Addo’s administration – and spent their entire tenure wielding it – The same people who boldly run roughshod over the constitution and fearlessly unleashed injustice on Ato Forson, Richard Jakpa, Gyakye Quayson, SALL constituents and several others are today pointing accusing fingers and insisting that the principle of the separation of powers is being violated.
The very people who used arbitrary and capricious means to obtain political decisions at the judiciary bench, and were merciless in exercising the unbridled power that they wielded in their heydays are today crying of injustice.
As a matter of fact, Dr Stephen Opuni, formerly of COCOBOD, for 8 years cried for justice – Everybody should have the right to ensure the judge sitting on their case doesn’t have a conflict, and Dr. Opuni activated this judicial principle, and actually pleaded with the court for a conflicted judge sitting on his case to recuse himself but Godfred Dame and the Chief Justice will have none of that.
Well, Mark Antony couldn’t have said it any better in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar:
*”The evil that men do lives after them”*
