Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has said that she has had to be strict in her roles to effectively manage her office.
She says it comes with the challenging nature of the job, for being a judge requires firmness in decision-making.
In an exclusive interview with JoyNews, Chief Justice Torkornoo explains; “I am strict. I think that you can hardly be a judge without being strict because on a daily basis, a judge is handling something like 20 cases minimum.”
She noted that judges must contend with assertive lawyers on both sides—some prepared, some unprepared, some with questionable motives, and others who are rarely present to do their work. Judges must navigate all these different personalities and attitudes.
“If you don’t come to the bench with rules, you can hardly get your work done. Being a judge on the bench is about being strict. Strict with managing time, process, the different submissions, and managing the courtroom,” she said.
Commenting on her practice directions and administrative guidelines aimed at expediting the wheels of justice during her short tenure as head of the judiciary, Chief Justice Torkornoo emphasized that her entire career has been dedicated to the practice of law.
She noted that she has served as an external lawyer for various institutions and has been actively engaged in legal practice. This extensive experience, she stressed, has provided her with firsthand knowledge of the frustrations that come from attending court without achieving results.
“I have known the pain of inefficient court staff, I have known the pain of processes that leave either a lawyer or party confused.
“……Therefore, in becoming Chief Justice, all that was left was for me to implement those things that were already in the pipeline,” she added.