Respond decisively to bring justice to cybercrime victims - Justice Tanko urges judiciary
The judiciary must respond decisively and effectively to bring justice for victims of cybercrime and to protect the societal digital space and well-being, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Amadu, has said.
He said that was one of the best ways to keep public trust, as cyber fraud and theft undermined that in the digital economy and online services.
Opening a symposium on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence for Ghanaian and Nigerian Judiciary in Accra yesterday, Justice Amadu, who is also the Director of the Judicial Training Institute, explained that not dealing with cybercrime also discouraged people from using e-banking or e-commerce for fear of being scammed, thereby slowing the growth of digital economies while inflicting serious reputational damage on countries.
“Each phishing scam that empties a bank account, each ransomware attack that paralyses a hospital, and each instance of online blackmail or extortion is an existential threat.
“These are real people and institutions being harmed, mostly working to earn their keep,” he said, and therefore, urged the judges to ensure that justice prevailed in the face of cybercrimes, judges must continually learn and play their role with honour to protect citizens who toil to earn their upkeep.
Symposium
The symposium was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat Cyber Unit, Ghana’s Judicial Training Institute (JTI) and the Ministry of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The symposium, the third in the series, is held for judges and judicial officers from Ghana and Nigeria to strengthen collective capacity in tackling cybercrime.
It forms part of capacity-building projects under the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration.
Relying on data from both Ghana and Nigeria, Justice Amadu said, unfortunately, Nigeria had long been cited as a major source of certain global scams (from the notorious “419” advance fee frauds to modern phishing and BEC rings) while Ghana had seen an emergence of so-called “sakawa” or online fraud groups, Justice Amadu said.
“If care is not taken, this notoriety can tarnish our global reputation and deter foreign investments,” he added.
Justice Amadu said both Ghana and Nigeria had taken significant steps to strengthen their legal, institutional, and operational frameworks for fighting cybercrime.
That included enacting and updating legislation in accordance with global standards.
He said the courts had the responsibility of ensuring proper handling of electronic evidence, including logs, emails, metadata, and forensic reports.
“Judges must insist on chain-of-custody standards, understand the potential for tampering and continually update their knowledge of emerging technologies to make sound admissibility decisions.”
Rationale
The Head of Political and Governance at the British High Commission, Hooman Nouruzi, said the symposium aimed to bolster the capabilities of judicial officials in tackling the growing threat of cybercrime.
Mr Nouruzi emphasised the importance of international cooperation in combating cyber threats, adding that cybercrime affected not only Ghana but the global community.
“Cybercrime knows no borders. It threatens critical infrastructure and disrupts businesses, eroding trust and diverting resources from essential services,” he said.
He commended Ghana's commitment to international cyber norms, including its accession to the Malabo and Budapest Conventions on Cybercrime, and its upcoming ratification of the UN Convention on Cybercrime.
