Accra: Justice Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, a Supreme Court Judge, has emphasized the necessity for Ghana’s Judiciary to evolve in knowledge, orientation, collaboration, and strategic response to effectively combat global crimes. ‘From cybercrime and terrorism to corruption and human trafficking, the threats we face are no longer constrained by national boundaries. As a Judiciary, we must therefore evolve – not only in our knowledge, but also in our orientation, collaboration, and strategic response,’ he stated.
According to Ghana News Agency, Justice Amadu, who also serves as the Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), conveyed this message in a speech delivered on his behalf at the opening of a two-day training on International Judicial Cooperation for selected High Court, Circuit Court, and Magistrate judges in Accra. Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo, a Court of Appeal Judge and faculty member of the JTI, delivered the speech.
The training event, organized by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy) in collaboration with the Ghanaian Ministry of Justice, JTI, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, aims to enhance judicial competence in international judicial cooperation and align Ghanaian judicial practices with global standards. Justice Amadu highlighted the interconnected role of the judiciary in a world shaped by transnational movement of people, ideas, capital, and crime.
Justice Amadu emphasized that the training’s initiation was timely and transformative, placing judicial cooperation at the heart of judicial advancement. He described the program as a necessary response to emerging realities and an opportunity for the Ghanaian judiciary to align more effectively with global legal standards and systems. He noted that the training would reinforce judicial responsibilities and ensure justice delivery in response to evolving global challenges.
Justice Amadu urged the participating judges and magistrates to view the program not as a routine exercise, but as an opportunity to redefine their roles in the interconnected judicial landscape. Dr. Mira Benucci, a representative from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, remarked that Ghana was the first to benefit from this training this year, marking the start of a long-term partnership between Ghana and Italy. She mentioned that Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna had trained over 12,000 professionals globally.
Dr. Benucci stressed the critical duty of judges to ensure justice delivery within and beyond their countries. She encouraged participants to engage interactively and share experiences to enhance their cross-border legal expertise. The training will cover international judicial cooperation frameworks, including Mutual Legal Assistance and extradition, and explore challenges related to the International Criminal Court, as well as key United Nations conventions on transnational crime and corruption.