Ouagadougou:The High Court of Koudougou has been awarded the first prize for the best High Court in Burkina Faso during the inaugural edition of the judicial excellence awards, known as "The Golden Balance."

According to Burkina Information Agency, the ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Justice, Comrade Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, and attended by several government officials, including the Ministers of Justice from Mali and Niger. The event aimed to honor jurisdictions and judicial actors who have demonstrated exceptional performance in their roles.

The Koudougou High Court topped the rankings in the best High Court category, with the Ouaga II High Court and the Koupela High Court following in second and third places, respectively. This accolade acknowledges the collective efforts within the jurisdiction to enhance the quality of services provided to litigants.

Taophig El Mannane Sawadogo, president of the Koudougou High Court, expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Justice for the "Golden Scales" initiative, highlighting it as a testament to the commitment to judicial excellence. He credited the success to all court staff and predecessors, urging them to continue striving for excellence in serving justice seekers.

The assessment criteria for this award included case processing speed, decision quality, ethical conduct, innovation, ICT usage, and user reception. Other recognized courts included the Bogande High Court, which received a special prize for resilience, while the Court of Appeal of Fada N'Gourma was named the best Court of Appeal, and the Court of Cassation received the best High Court award.

The Ministry of Justice aims to use "The Golden Balance" as a platform to motivate courts and judicial actors to uphold and improve practices that ensure an efficient and litigant-focused public justice service.