Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine has called for the deployment of lawyers to police stations and courts to ensure suspects have access to legal representation at critical stages of criminal proceedings.
He said suspects were particularly vulnerable during police investigations and their first appearances in court, making early access to legal assistance essential to protecting their rights and preventing unlawful or prolonged detention.
“The most decisive moments in a criminal case often occur at the police station,” Dr Ayine said, calling for the introduction of a duty-lawyer scheme to give practical effect to Article 14(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
He made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the Legal Aid Commission’s 2026 Legal Aid Week at the Law Court Complex in Accra on Tuesday, October 13.
The event is being held under the theme “Justice at Your Doorstep.”
Dr Ayine urged the Commission to conduct regular reviews of cases involving people in custody to identify those who may be facing prolonged detention without legal representation.
He stressed that access to justice should not be determined by a person’s financial circumstances or geographical location, urging the Commission to expand its services beyond regional capitals through district offices and mobile legal clinics.
He proposed that the clinics operate on designated days at markets, community centres and traditional council halls to bring legal assistance closer to underserved communities.
“The Commission’s presence must be felt beyond regional capitals,” he said.
Dr Ayine also disclosed plans to engage the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to encourage lawyers to take up more pro bono cases, particularly for people who cannot afford legal representation.
He called on law faculties and the Ghana School of Law to establish supervised legal clinics and support the training of paralegals and community legal volunteers to provide basic legal guidance in rural communities.
According to him, legal aid is fundamental to ensuring that indigent persons can exercise their rights and receive fair treatment under the law.
Drawing on his experience in legal practice, the Attorney General observed that poverty often prevented people from having their cases heard, even when they had legitimate claims.
“A right that cannot be reached is a right denied,” he said, emphasising the need to transform legal aid from a constitutional and policy commitment into an accessible and effective service.
To improve access to legal assistance, Dr Ayine proposed the establishment of a toll-free legal aid line, alongside simple SMS and WhatsApp systems through which people could seek initial legal advice.
He also called for legal information to be made available in local languages to help people understand their rights and access assistance without unnecessary delays.
Additionally, he recommended a shared case-management system linking the Legal Aid Commission, the courts and the Office of the Attorney General to improve coordination and ensure that legally aided clients receive the support they need throughout their cases.
Dr Ayine further advocated stronger alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services to help resolve family, land, tenancy and debt disputes without the costs and delays associated with full court proceedings.
He said collaboration with traditional authorities and community mediators could make dispute resolution faster and more affordable, particularly for people in rural areas.
The Attorney General stressed that effective legal aid delivery would require predictable and adequate funding through the national budget, supplemented where possible by support from development partners.
He also urged the Commission to publish annual performance reports detailing the number of people assisted in various districts and the time taken to resolve their cases.
Dr Ayine assured the Commission of the Office of the Attorney General’s support for legal and policy reforms aimed at improving access to justice.
He added that prosecutors had a responsibility to respect and support the right of every accused person to legal representation.
“The measure of a justice system is not how it treats powerful people who can hire the best lawyers; it is how it treats the poor, the unlettered and the forgotten,” he said.
He urged the Legal Aid Commission to translate the theme of the week into practical interventions that would bring legal assistance closer to people who need it most, regardless of their financial circumstances or location.
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