Chief Justice Shares Latest Information On Courts And Their Caseloads

The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has interacted with members of the Legal Press Corps at the Media Room of the Law Court Complex in Accra.

The motivation behind the gathering was to share to them all necessary information on the work the Legal executive (Judiciary) has been doing since she assumed control over its administration in June last year, to give the people of Ghana effective fairness.

Speaking at the meeting, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo said, she had been gathering a great deal of information from the courts to show her ‘where there are serious blockages and where there is such a lot of work’.

‘I’ve discovered that there are courts that have as many as 600 and a 1000 cases and then there are courts where there are as few as 30 something cases’.

According to her, the new introduction of the Court Shift System in some recognized areas, Circuit and High Courts in Accra on a pilot premise was to resolve the issue of high caseloads in those courts.

She also said that the Judicial Service would think about implementing the model in other Ghanaian courts with similarly high caseloads if the caseloads decreased after a success evaluation.

The Judicial Service Is Resuming A Shift System. Full List Of The Courts Starting..

The Chief Justice also educated the Legal Press Corps about the re-opening of the Court of Appeal sittings around the nation, considering the need to decrease travel time for court clients looking for the help of the Court to hear their cases on appeal.

In addition, Her Ladyship stated that the Central and Western Court of Appeal would convene in Sekondi rather than Cape Coast due to “stronger facilities” and “court facilities in Cape Coast have deteriorated.”

The Ashanti, Western North, Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions’ and the Northern and Upper Regions’ virtual appeals would be heard by the Kumasi Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal in Koforidua then again would also hear appeals from the Eastern, Volta and Oti Regions.

The Chief Justice informed the Judicial Press Corps that the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) had put together a curriculum for para legal training, of which they could benefit, which would soon be available at a fee, subject to the approval of the fees by the Ministry of Finance.