Supreme Court Judge Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi has urged Ghanaians to stop offering bribes to judges, arguing that the fight against corruption in Ghana’s Judiciary requires the active involvement of the public.
Justice Kulendi said corruption within the justice system cannot be addressed by focusing only on judicial officers, insisting that individuals who attempt to influence court decisions through bribery also contribute to undermining the integrity of the Judiciary.
The Supreme Court judge said judges do not create opportunities for bribery themselves but are often approached by litigants and members of the public seeking favourable outcomes.
“I say to people, listen, judges don’t give themselves bribes. It is litigants and Ghanaians who will offer the judge their bribe, even for the judge to contemplate it. So stop bribing your judges because the judge is not supposed to sell justice to you,” Justice Kulendi said.
He explained that justice is a public trust and judges are expected to determine cases based on evidence, the law and constitutional principles rather than personal or financial considerations.
Justice Kulendi, however, acknowledged that corruption exists within the Judiciary, stressing that judicial officers are drawn from the wider Ghanaian society and cannot be completely isolated from societal challenges.
“I’m not one of those who will say that there are no corrupt judges or there are no corrupt judicial officers. Then they must have come from some other planet, and they are not Ghanaians,” he stated.
He said, “So the judges are just a cross-section of Ghanaians. And so to the extent that our society has corrupt people, some of them have filtered into the judiciary.”
According to the Supreme Court judge, the authority and influence attached to judicial office can make the Judiciary attractive to individuals who already possess corrupt tendencies.
“The judiciary presents a very predatory and opportunistic avenue for somebody who is already disposed to corruption to manifest that outrageous disposition fully. So it is there,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the existence of corruption within the system, Justice Kulendi maintained that many judges and judicial officers continue to perform their duties with professionalism, honesty and commitment to justice.
He stressed that isolated cases of misconduct should not be used to discredit the entire Judiciary or the many officers who uphold ethical standards.
Justice Kulendi also referred to the aftermath of the investigative exposé known as the Number 12 judicial corruption scandal, which uncovered allegations of corruption involving some judicial officers.
He said disciplinary actions were taken against affected individuals, but such processes must always follow the principles of fairness and due process.
“Day in, day out, people are being flushed out of the system. But there are due process considerations. Anybody who is a judge was first a lawyer, and then they became a judge. So when you’re dealing with them, you can’t be arbitrary, and you cannot compromise due process,” he explained.
He urged Ghanaians to support efforts to build a credible Judiciary by rejecting attempts to influence judges improperly and respecting the independence of the courts.
