JENDA: A JOURNAL OF CULTURE AND AFRICAN WOMEN STUDIES CHIEF JUSTICE OF GHANA, GEORGINA THEODORA WOOD

Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood states that an important priority for her is to build a culture of integrity within the judiciary as a first step to fighting corruption. Speaking before the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Justice Wood conceded that fighting corruption was an uphill task but that she would make it a priority. According to her, “It is difficult to erase perception of corruption in the judiciary. . . . I will begin by building a culture of integrity.” For her, "no institution could thrive especially when it comes to fighting corruption when the leadership is corrupt." And so she avers to “set the example for others to follow. Promotion will be merit-based and a key ingredient will be integrity and competence. Salary structures will have to be improved so people will not be tempted.”

Justice Wood promised that her administration will demand accountability from the support staff as well as monitor their activities. She also called on the public to refrain from bribing judges since that serves as a breeding ground for tarnishing the judiciary. She advised the public to “Leave our judges alone to work. If you have a case go to the court and get a lawyer. . . . You can’t have 100 percent perfect people. There could be an element of truth that corruption prevails in the judicial,” she said.

She paid tribute to her predecessor, the late Chief Justice George Kingsley Acquah, for the reforms he brought to the Judicial Service such as the automation process, staff emolument and capacity building. She promised to continue with such goals.

Career Highlights

Born on June 8, 1947, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood (née Lutterodt)) attended Bishop’s Girls and Methodist Schools. She obtained her LLB (Hons) from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1970 after graduating from Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast in 1966. She attended the Ghana Law School after which she was called to the bar. She subsequently went for a six-month Post-Graduate Officers Training Course at the Ghana Police College after which she worked as a deputy superintendent and public prosecutor for three years. She joined the Judicial Service as a District Magistrate Grade II in 1974, and was later promoted to Grade I. She continued her service and rose through the Circuit and High Courts to become the presiding judge of the Appeal Court in 1991.

Justice Wood was first appointed to the Supreme Court by President John Kufuor on November 12, 2003, a nomination she initially turned down (The Stateman). She became the Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Justice Wood was nominated for the position of Chief Justice of Ghana in May 2007. Following the recommendation of the Council of State, the Parliament of Ghana approved her nomination as the new Chief Justice of Ghana by consensus on June 1, 2007. Thereupon she became the 24th Chief Justice of the country and the first woman in the history of Ghana to head the Judiciary. She assumed office on 15 June 2007. In a country where "51 percent of the population are women; where rural women account for about 70 percent of total national food production, and only 19 out of the 230 Members of Parliament are women, the appointment of a woman CJ" comes as a very natural occurrence, and was supported by several leading women's rights advocates (Ghanaweb.com).

Justice Wood chaired the Georgina Wood Committee that conducted an enquiry into the disappearance of 77 packets of cocaine from the MV Benjamin vessel on April 26, 2006, as well as the 588kg cocaine seized from some Venezuelans at Mempeasem, East Legon.