Political commentators have expressed concern that Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to appoint former staffers to a committee that helps select provincial judges could politicize the courts.
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Appointing individuals who may have links to the party in power is not necessarily troublesome, as long as the process emphasizes legal knowledge and fairness, and not partisan considerations.
Kenya’s supreme court judges annul the results of the 2017 presidential election.
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Two conditions enable courts to take the risk of nullifying the elections of ruling party candidates.
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, who presided over the murder trial of goalkeeper Senzo Mayiwa was suspended in July.
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The challenges facing South African judges have been well documented for decades. They include the high number of unfilled vacancies and poor working conditions.
Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta waves at a crowd.
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Jomo Kenyatta and his successor Daniel arap Moi set the tone for ethnic and authoritarian politics which Kenya has wrestled to free itself from in recent decades.
The role of Chief Justice in Ghana comes with significant authority
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Ghana’s judiciary has a public relations problem that requires an urgent fix.
The High Court in Accra, Ghana’s capital. Strengthening the judiciary would ensure a better democratic outcome.
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Ghana’s flawed democracy has failed to establish mechanisms to effectively control corruption.
An activist protests against the incarceration of hundreds of inmates imprisoned without trial in Nigeria.
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A central repository system offers practical solutions to reducing the large number of awaiting-trial inmates in Nigeria.
State Library of Queensland
Watch 30 years since Mabo, a live-streamed event hosted by State Library of Queensland and The Conversation honouring the activism of Eddie Mabo.
President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Acting Chief Justice Ariwoola.
Photo: Presidency Nigeria Twitter.
Corruption in the Nigeria judiciary is pervasive and complex.
The Independence Arch in Accra represents Ghana’s democracy.
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Ghana’s civil society has contributed to taming the power of a strong state.
Burkina Faso’s former President, Blaise Compaore, convicted for the murder of Thomas Sankara.
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The guilty verdict on Blaise Compaoré should be celebrated as a landmark victory for democracy and peoples’ movements in Africa.
It takes generations to know whether a major court ruling has actually changed society.
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Even famous Supreme Court rulings like Brown v. Board of Education haven’t necessarily pushed US society forward in a linear direction.
The separation of powers is critical for good governance.
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The actions of the chief justice undermine the independence, impartiality and competence of the judiciary, which erodes public confidence in the courts.
The courts have become an integral part of Ghana’s electoral prcess.
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Electoral disputes and petitions are becoming a prominent feature of the electoral process.
Ghana’s Supreme Court plays a key role in election disputes.
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The Ghanaian media decides how the public understands proceedings from the Supreme Court.
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In the wake of the allegations about Dyson Heydon, a key outstanding question is reforming Australia’s opaque judicial appointments system.
Ghana has spent years developing a trusted justice system.
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The novel coronavirus has necessitated judicial reforms that should have been the norm.
The very nature of law is that it’s ever-changing and open to interpretation.
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Assuming machines could take the place of judges belies their role as the third arm of government and makers of law.
President of the Supreme Court, Justice Lady Brenda Hale, during the recent judgement on the prorogation of British parliament.
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As the recent Brexit litigation has shown, the UK’s Supreme Court has had to consider political as well as legal issues in its first ten years.
How much judges are paid is a thorny issue for governments. It shouldn’t be.
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Secure and appropriate compensation for judges is a constitutionally recognized component of judicial independence. Here’s why politics must not be allowed to interfere with it.