Mrs. Afua Ghartey, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has urged Ghanaians to reject retaliatory actions and cycles of revenge, emphasising the need to uphold justice, unity, and national cohesion.
“We should be careful as a nation not to go down the slippery slope of endless revenge by justifying various acts with the refrain ‘But others did that too,’” she warned.
Mrs. Ghartey made the remarks at the 43rd Anniversary Remembrance Service held at Ridge Church, Accra, in honour of the three murdered High Court Judges—Justice Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, and Mr. Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong—as well as retired Army Officer, Major Sam Acquah.
The four were abducted and brutally murdered on June 30, 1982, at the Bundease Military Range.
Their bodies, soaked in petrol and set ablaze, were partially preserved by a heavy downpour that night.
Reflecting on the solemn occasion, Mrs. Ghartey urged national introspection and a collective commitment to justice and reconciliation.
“On this day that we meet to honour the memory of the martyrs of the rule of law, let us resolve as a nation to do ourselves proud and humbly walk away from settling scores endlessly, as we are all one nation with one destiny,” she said.
Reaffirming the Association’s stance, Mrs. Ghartey reiterated the GBA’s call for the judiciary to be completely insulated from all forms of interference.
“They stand for justice, and they should administer justice to all persons, including themselves. We are confident that in the spirit of reconciliation, all the various calls made for the reconsideration of the suspension of the Chief Justice in the circumstances, as it set a poor precedent, will not go unheeded. We yearn for peace and strive for justice,” she added.
Mrs. Ghartey acknowledged Ghana’s resilience in rising “from the ashes like the phoenix,” and commended the nation’s conscious efforts to strengthen democracy and uphold the rule of law.
“An independent judiciary in its true sense is a bulwark for all who seek justice and should be jealously protected,” she emphasised.
She stressed that the judiciary’s most important attributes should be its independence, credibility, and transparency—principles enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
The GBA President also recounted the Association’s active role, alongside both local and international partners, in expressing concern over the ongoing process involving the potential removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo.
“It is hoped that any superior court judge will be well apprised of the entire process before ever being subjected to the same, in the spirit of fairness.
“Rising to the defense of the Judiciary’s independence is the mandate of the Ghana Bar Association and this is not personality driven,” she stated.
The remembrance ceremony, jointly organised by the GBA and the Judiciary, was attended by Judges of the superior and lower courts, lawyers, and family members of the slain judges.
