*** Bolgatanga, (Upper East ) 17 Sept.,

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has organised a day's seminar for heads of departments, boards and corporation in the Upper East Region on the correct procedures of disciplining their subordinates. The seminar was under the theme "towards achieving administrative justice in work places. The regional head and his/or her staff'. Topics discussed included, "an overview of labour related petitions before CHRAJ in upper east region -1994-1997", and "the legal frame work established for achieving administrative justice in the public services of Ghana". Opening it, Mr Donald Adabre, regional minister, urged the heads to see the commission as an organisation established to educate and investigate abuses of administrative justice in their work places. He said with the decentralisation policy, it is important for them to know the current civil service law, to enable them to play their supervisory roles well. Mr. Charles Ayamdoo, chraj regional officer in-charge of operations, said 372 cases were handled between January 1994 and Sept.15, this year. He said 156, representing 53.85 per cent of the cases were labour-related, involving petitions against wrongful dismissals, termination of appointments, retirements,and retrenchment, among others. The commission has been able to resolve all cases reported to it between 1994 and 1995, with a few of 1996 cases still pending. Speaking on "The legal framework established for achieving administrative justice in the public service of Ghana'', Mr. Joseph Whittal, regional director of CHRAJ, said any disciplinary action taken by the regional heads must receive confirmation by the head of department in Accra. He said officers on interdiction should receive two-thirds of their remuneration. Mr Whittal said a civil servant may only be penalised for misconducts stated under the civil service law and stressed the need for the heads to exercise caution when applying penalties. He said, if a staff finds that a head has misapplied any penalty, '' it could lead to further indisciplinary problems in the office''. Mr. Whittal advised the heads to get well versed with sections 64 and 65 of the interim regulations of the civil service, to enable them to achieve administrative justice at work places. He suggested to the heads to adopt the policy of transparency which he said creates an atmosphere of trust and obedience, adding, "there is no point in preferring one staff to another either out of sex, tribe or religious affiliation''.