I’ll not accept gifts from parties or lawyers in a case – SC Nominee
A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, has vowed not to accept gifts from parties or lawyers who appear before her in a suit.
However, she added that she would take gifts from family and friends since the judicial code of conduct permits her to do the latter.
She made the revelations when she appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted for her new role as a Supreme Court Judge on Tuesday, October 18.
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had asked about her stance on gift-taking and its capacity to compromise the delivery of public goods and services in the country.
Mrs Ackah-Yensu also said perhaps the general public needs more education on giving.
“Maybe society needs more education to the effect that you do not have to give a gift to a judge for their case to be heard. Maybe that is the kind of education that we need,” she said.
In a follow-up question by the Tamale South MP on whether she was aware that all gifts are to be reported in accordance with the established laws of Ghana, she said she wasn’t sure which gifts are to be declared.
“I have an inkling about that, but I am not in the position to tell the nature of gifts that you have to declare,” she indicated.