Albert Kan Dapaah-Minister of National Security
The Ministry of National Security has engaged the judiciary on the new National Security Strategy 2020 which is currently before Parliament.
The sensitisation workshop saw officials of the ministry briefing Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and the High Court on the new integrated strategy, which was launched in June last year by President Akufo-Addo.
The National Security Strategy 2020 seeks to address the previous situation where there existed several fragmented policies in response to the various threats and circumstances that bordered on national security.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, indicated that the engagement 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.
He said discussions concerning national security often evoke concepts such as peace, security and stability, but observed that although the concept of justice tends to be overlooked, the aforementioned cannot be achieved without justice.
“The need to safeguard our collective security as a state requires that we work assiduously to eliminate all forms of injustice. The ultimate responsibility in doing so lies, squarely, at the feet of members of Ghana’s judicial system, who are entrusted with the power to ensure effective justice delivery,” Mr. Kan-Dapaah stated.
He said the new National Security Strategy calls for closer collaboration between state security and intelligence agencies and the judiciary in ensuring swift and effective delivery of justice.
“Against this backdrop, I would like to emphasise the readiness of the Ministry of National Security to support all activities of the judiciary geared towards safeguarding the peace, security and stability of Ghana. I remain confident that the new partnership that would be forged between the judicial fraternity and actors within Ghana’s security architecture, anchored on the tenets of the new National Security Strategy, would go a long way to consolidate Ghana’s peace, security and stability,” he added.
The Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, described the new strategy as a critical intervention “that will make all of us sleep a little better” in the face of evolving global threats.
He said the Ministry of National Security alone cannot be entirely responsible for the implementation of the integrated policy and, therefore, called on the judiciary, which is the guardian of the law, to fully engage in the implementation process.
Justice Anin Yeboah added that decisions that are taken by national security officials must be done in the light of what is lawful, and where there are conflicts between the rights of individuals and the security of the state, it is in the courtroom that those tensions will be resolved.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
The post National Security Engages Judiciary appeared first on DailyGuide Network.
