Justice Sophia Akuffo, Chief Justice
A high court has been inaugurated on the premises of the Kumasi Central Prisons to facilitate speedy resolution of applications of remand and criminal cases from the circuit and district courts.
The facility was funded by the government of Denmark through its Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) programme.
It is expected to reduce the cost of transporting remand prisoners to the various high courts in the region and speed up remand cases, and also minimise congestion in the Kumasi Central Prisons, which currently houses 2,115 inmates as against its required number of 800.
Inaugurating it, Chief Justice Sofia Abena Akuffo urged government to support the Judicial Service to expedite the construction of modern court facilities, recommending that, “designs of future prison facilities should include full-scale court premises for smooth and quality justice delivery in the country.”
The Chief Justice said the construction of courts closer to prison facilities were significant in the Judicial Service’s quest to fight congestion in the various prisons as it would reduce the number of remand prisoners through the “Justice for all” programme, among others.
She cautioned members of the Judicial Service, who would be working in the new court building, to be mindful of their tasks at hand which was to advance the course of human rights, the bedrock of democracy.
The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Tove Degnbol, said her government was proud to be associated with justice delivery system in Ghana, especially the “Justice for all” programme.
She acknowledged that, the lack of courts at the premises of the various prisons facilities in the country was impeding on the justice delivery system and for that matter, the objective of the “Justice for all” programme.
Ms Degnbol assured that, the Danish government would continue to support the Judicial Service to establish courts closer to prison facilities.
The Director-General of Prisons, Patrick Darko Missah, commended the Judicial Service and the Danish government for their collaboration on the new court facility, which he said would reduce both congestion in the Kumasi Central Prisons and administrative cost of the facility.
“Above all, it will bring relief to inmates who will want to appeal their sentences,” he said.
FROM FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, KUMASI
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