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Judges and magistrates have been urged to desist from abusing their judicial discretionary powers. The president of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), Justice Dennis Adjei, who sounded the caution at the swearing in of three high court judges and nine circuit court judges in Accra yesterday, urged them not to use their discretion on the granting of bail as a form of punishment in both civil and criminal cases as perceived by some members of the public. According to him, the Judicial Service was introducing several administrative interventions introducing several administrative interventions such as Custody Time Limits (CTL) to curtail some of the judicial abuses in bail considerations. �The use of bail as punishments should cease forthwith� he said adding, �Several administrative interventions such as Justice for All, Submission of Monthly Returns, and Custody Time Limits are being introduced to address some of the abuses.� He hinted that the Attorney-General�s Department had set up a committee in pursuance to the recommendation by the Constitutional Review Committee to amend portions of Act 29 and 30 and the Evidence Act particularly on the determination of bail. According to him, the interventions by the service was geared towards addressing abuses of judicial powers and therefore urged judges and magistrate to control excesses of their discretionary powers to avoid legislative and administrative interventions. The Chief Justice, Mrs. Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who swore the magistrates and judges into office, asked them not to misuse their powers. �It has been said that some judges and magistrates are often intoxicated by judicial powers they exercise by virtue of the Constitution, and sadly in the process end up as despots,� she said. �It is important that you bear in mind at all times that constitutional guarantees, including security of tenure, are intended to protect and assure institutional and substantive independence of the judiciary. These constitutional protections are not intended to feed egos, pride and comfort or assist us to establish wealth for ourselves,� she said. She therefore, urged them to show a high sense of competence, integrity, and hard word in their dealings with the court. The president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Nene Amegatcher, called on the judges to expedite action in dispute resolutions. According to him, judges and magistrates should consider the proper use of case management and ensure that the pace at which cases travel were determined by them rather than the parties or lawyers involved, in a faster but meticulous manner. The three high court judges who were sworn in include Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, Mrs. Hannah Taylor and Mrs. Hafisata Amaleboda whiles Mariam Saleh Sinare, Cynthia Wiredu, Kwame Polley and Roberta Otrisco were sworn in as circuit court judges. Other circuit judges who were sworn in were Frank A. Rockson, E, Essampong Ayesu, Fredrick Tetteh, Rita Abrokwah Doko and F. A.W.K. Nawurah.