Injustice is a threat to national security - Kan Dapaah

Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister for National Security has said injustice is a threat to national security, calling on the Judiciary to ensure fair trial.

He said the absence of effective justice delivery or delay in justice led to loss of trust in the judiciary system, leading to the citizenry taking the law into their hands.

Mr Kan Dapaah was speaking during a sensitisation workshop for the judiciary on the National Security Strategy 2020.

The workshop is to introduce the Security Strategy to the members of the Judiciary.

He said it had become necessary given the need to sensitize the Judiciary on the tenets of Ghana’s new National Security Strategy which was launched in June this year.

Mr Kan Dapaah said more importantly, the meeting with the Judiciary was anchored on the need to reconcile the roles of the Judiciary with that of the actors within Ghana’s security and intelligence architecture, as highlighted in the National Security Strategy, towards building a safe, secure and just Ghana for all

The Minister said maintaining law and order was not the sole preserve of the National Security but also the judiciary thus the need to collaborate to make the country safe.

He said increase in lawlessness was a threat to internal security of the State and appealed to the judiciary to work to eliminate all forms of injustice.

Mr Kan Dapaah said though the state of security currently was stable, there was the need to prepare and position to counter any external threats for instance, terrorism.

“It is also important that domestic security challenges such as land disputes, chieftaincy, armed robbery and other criminal activities were resolved,” he added.

He urged the members of the judiciary to continue to uphold the fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Constitution as they acted as arbiters to help maintain law and order.

Mr Kan Dapaah said his outfit would have regular interactions with the stakeholders to enable them to understand the National Security Architecture of the country.

Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah said the Judiciary played critical roles in the national security infrastructure as it used the law to combat security threats.

He said decisions taken by National Security must also be done within the confines of the law and where there were conflicts between individuals' rights and the State's security it was the Court that settled the tensions.

“Judges will deliberate on the integrated National Security Strategy launched in June 2021 by the President before its implementation,” he said.

He said the Strategy came to address the situation, where there were several fragmented policies in response to the various threats and circumstances that bordered on National Security.

Chief Justice said in a changing global situation, where threats were manifold and diverse, the deliberation was a critical intervention that would help promote safety for all.

He therefore charged the judges to commit to the process in their engagement with the National Security Ministry.