A seventeen member delegation from the Judicial Service Commission of Tanzania, on Monday, paid a working visit to their Ghanaian counterpart to share knowledge and experiences on issues affecting their respective judiciaries.

The group included judges, Commissioner of the Tanzania Judicial Service, Senior Court Registrars, Court Administrators and Accountants.

Earlier, Justice Mohamed Chande Othman, Chief Justice of the United Republic of Tanzania, who led the delegation, paid a courtesy call on Ghana’s Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Georgina Wood, at her office in Accra.

Mrs. Justice Wood, welcoming Justice Othman and his delegation to Ghana, called for the deepening of relations between Ghana’s judiciary and their Tanzanian counterpart to ensure that the two institutions learn from each other’s experiences.

She said the study tour by the delegation would not only benefit the Tanzanian judiciary, but Ghana’s as well.

Mrs. Justice Wood noted that the Tanzanian group was not in the country to be tutored by Ghana, but rather to share ideas on criminal law and other areas for the benefit of both judiciaries.

She noted that Ghana and Tanzania have had a long standing relationship, which dates back to the days of Ghana‘s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, who worked closely towards African integration.

She said, “it is good and positive that today the two countries are speaking about integration of the two judiciaries.”

She recalled the appointment of Justice Paul Swansea of Ghana in 1981 as the Chief Justice of Zanzibar, and noted that, he left an indelible mark in the legal history of that country.

Justice Mohamed Chande Othman on his part, commended the Ghanaian Judiciary for the hospitality given them since the arrival of his delegation.

He said the group was in Ghana to deepen the South-South Cooperation, and noted that, because both Ghana and Tanzania have a similar legal environment due to their common heritage, the parties would have a lot of experiences to share.

Justice Othman also noted that, currently, Tanzania was undertaking constitutional reforms to enhance the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers and legal education.