In 1789, George Washington stated in a letter written to the attorney general Edmund Randolph that: "Impressed with the conviction that the due administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government, I have considered the first arrangement of the judicial department as essential to the happiness of our country, and to the stability of its political system, hence the selection of the fittest characters to expound the law and dispense justice, has been an invariable object of my anxious concern."
That declaration by Washington centuries ago and his commitment to ensure a strong and robust judiciary to ensure that the constitution of the United States was upheld and the rules of natural law and due process were not compromised was as admirable then as it is today.
This article however, does not focus on the judiciary, which admittedly must always be the bastion of virtue and must never allow any interference whatsoever in its dispensation of justice. Instead, I seek to encourage all individuals, men and women who are in leadership positions in their respective institutions, especially those created by statute, to remember the pivotal role they play in ensuring that the citizenry is the beneficiary of good governance.
The term "good governance" is given a wide meaning, that is, the assurance that institutions performing a public service of any kind conduct their affairs and manage their resources in a transparent, accountable and prudent manner. But the achievement of this lofty standard may prove difficult if the landscape is susceptible to political interference.
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