By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, is urging Ghana’s Apex Court to stop hearing what he calls frivolous cases in the open Court but dismiss them in Chambers.
He suggested the Supreme Court (SC) prune cases listed before it and hear only those with merit in open Court.
The Minister for Justice and Attorney General said this at the opening of this year’s Bench, Bar, and Faculty Conference held in Accra on Thursday, 21, 2022
Mr. Dame contended that “only important cases with the potential of resulting in a change of the law or with an immense public interest, should be heard by the Supreme Court.”
“The time has come for the SC to reduce its caseload by prioritizing the kinds of cases it actually hears” while dismissing frivolous applications and cases “in Chambers” without the necessity of a hearing in open Court.
Such frivolous cases, constitute the bulk of cases considered by the Court annually.” the Attorney General asserts.
Mr. Dame was of the view that the rules of the Court should be revised to allow this in order for it to be more efficient and productive.
Touching on the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Ghanaian Justice Delivery system, the President of the Ghana Bar Association, Mr. Yaw Boafo urged that “temporary innovations put in place, as a result of the pandemic, ought to be made a permanent feature of the justice delivery system.
According to him the “virtual hearing of cases introduced during the pandemic should become a regular feature of justice delivery system to reduce cost, save time and boost efficiency.
