It is a fundamental principle of judicial adjudication that a judgment or ruling of a court must do more than merely pronounce the conclusion reached. It must also disclose the reasons that have led the court to prefer one position over another. The judicial function requires a court to demonstrate, with sufficient clarity, the path by which it has moved from the competing arguments and submissions of the parties, as well as the evidence before it, to the conclusion ultimately reached. [47] It cannot be disputed that, at common law, the giving of reasons for a judgment is a fundamental requirement of the judicial process. Although judges and judicial officers are not necessarily required to provide exhaustive or detailed reasons for every aspect of their decision, they are required to demonstrate the reasoning process by which they have connected their findings of fact and the applicable law to the conclusions reached. This is necessary to enable the parties to understand how the ultimate decision was arrived at and, where appropriate, to enable an appellate court to properly review the decision.
ALBERT DIYUOH FAALONGBASOGLO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2026] SLR (SC) 49 · Supreme Court · 2026 · KWOFIE JSC
Read it in the judgment