A private legal practitioner Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to prioritise the construction of more courts across the country rather than focusing on the establishment of regional tribunals.
His comment comes after a survey released by Global Info Analytics on July 27, revealed that majority of Ghanaian voters have expressed support for the establishment of regional tribunals.
The survey found that 63% of voters approve of the creation of the regional tribunal system, while 19% oppose the move.
About 17% of respondents said they had no opinion on the matter.
Reacting to the survey in an interview on Atinka Fm’s Midday News, Lawyer Obiri Boahen argued that Ghana’s justice delivery system would be better served by expanding access to existing courts and strengthening judicial infrastructure.
According to him, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo invested significantly in the construction of court facilities to improve access to justice, and he believes the current administration should build on that legacy.
“Instead of establishing regional tribunals, government should emulate former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo by building more courts across the country. Expanding the existing court system will make justice more accessible to Ghanaians,” he said.
He maintained that many communities continue to face challenges in accessing the courts because of inadequate judicial infrastructure, resulting in delays and additional costs for litigants.
He stressed that increasing the number of courts and providing the necessary logistics for judges and judicial staff would strengthen the administration of justice more effectively than creating new tribunals.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Vincent Kwofie