An adjunct constitutional law lecturer at the GIMPA Law School, Dennis Adjei Dwomoh, has opposed establishing tribunal courts as a solution to delays in Ghana’s criminal justice system.
Mr Dwomoh argued that the major cause of delays in criminal cases is often linked to challenges within the prosecution process rather than the courts themselves.
Speaking on the ongoing debate over the Regional Tribunals Act, he said the decision to introduce tribunal courts, because they would speed up case determination, was misplaced.
“The major issues relating to criminal trials in this country, if you study the system, the delays are not caused by the courts. Let us be real, the delays often times are caused by the prosecutors,” he said on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday.
“If you study the trend, an instance where a prosecution has to amend its major profile, an instance where the police decide to describe people as galamseyers, you understand that people’s professions are galamseyers, and they admit it,” he tried to explain.
In his view, addressing bottlenecks within the prosecution system, including delays in preparing cases and presenting evidence, would be a more effective way of improving the efficiency of criminal justice delivery.https://www.youtube.com/embed/AxDLMwoxyLg?si=HUideMMWn2HJhbBl
The government has defended the establishment of tribunal courts, arguing that the system will enhance justice delivery by improving the speed and efficiency of handling cases.
However, the move has attracted mixed reactions, with some legal practitioners and stakeholders raising concerns about its necessity and potential impact on Ghana’s judicial system.
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