Supreme Court Justice nominee, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, has urged Ghanaians to actively combat corruption by reporting unethical behavior rather than generalizing accusations against the judiciary.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Justice Adjei emphasized the need for public awareness and structural education to curb corruption.
“The most important thing is that we must first conscientize ourselves about the effects of corruption. Then, we must focus on what can be done to address it—education and training are key.”
Justice Adjei cautioned against the tendency to attribute corruption broadly to judicial institutions without pinpointing individuals responsible for misconduct.
“Many Ghanaians condone corruption. When a public officer demands money, instead of reporting, people give in. Later, they claim the entire judiciary is corrupt without mentioning names. That is the problem—it’s a matter of perception”.
Drawing from his experience as Director of the Judiciary Training School and head of the Judicial Service’s Public Complaints Unit, he recounted a case where an individual was accused of accepting money under the pretense of influencing a judge.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the judge had no knowledge of the transaction, an example of how corruption can be misrepresented.
“We must be careful in how we assess corruption. Failure to report individuals only fuels misconceptions and undermines trust in our institutions.”
