JUSAG President laments lack of progress on staff welfare
3rd October 2025
The President of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), Samuel Afotey Otu, has voiced frustration over what he described as the slow pace of reforms to improve the welfare of Judicial Service staff and the wider judiciary.
Speaking at the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) in Accra, Mr. Otu said that while issues are repeatedly raised at conferences, they rarely lead to meaningful change.
“We clap, we nod in agreement, but too often the important points raised are not acted upon,” he said.
He recalled that over the past three years, JUSAG had consistently highlighted critical concerns: delayed salary payments in 2022, threats to staff security in 2023, and the demand for the Judicial Service to retain 70% of its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) in 2024 instead of the current 30%.
Welfare Concerns Still Unresolved
Mr. Otu noted that despite these concerns being raised year after year, staff continue to grapple with the same challenges. He called for urgent steps to improve conditions of service, stressing that welfare issues must go hand-in-hand with efforts to modernise the justice system.
The AGM, held from October 1–2, 2025, was themed “Leveraging Technology to Enhance Justice Delivery.”
Need for Cybersecurity in Judicial Reforms
Turning to the judiciary’s push toward digitalisation, the JUSAG president warned that adopting technology without safeguarding it could expose the institution to significant risks.
“While we advocate for incorporating technology in justice delivery, we must equally be wary about cyber security,” Mr. Otu said, pointing to recent cyberattacks on government systems in the UK and US as reminders that Ghana’s judiciary is not immune.
He stressed that any investment in modern case management systems must be matched by investment in the human resource capacity to run them effectively.
“A state-of-the-art system is only as good as the Registrar who feeds it with accurate and timely information,” he remarked.
Registrars at the Heart of the Justice System
Mr. Otu further highlighted the indispensable role of registrars and support staff in the administration of justice. He described them as “custodians of case records, managers of dockets, administrators of court proceedings, sheriffs for execution of judgments and orders, and the first point of contact for litigants, lawyers, and the general public.”
He reaffirmed JUSAG’s readiness to work with Judicial Service leadership to roll out digital reforms, promising that members would embrace tools that improve efficiency and public confidence in the justice system.
“We are prepared to mobilize our members to embrace digital tools and processes that enhance justice delivery,” he assured.