Court of Appeal gets 16 new judges; 5 provident panel locations established

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has as a response to the backlog of cases burdening the courts, appointed sixteen new Justices of the Court of Appeal, to ensure the diligent resolution of cases in an expeditious manner.

He has also disclosed that, the Chief Justice, who is responsible for the administration of the Judiciary, has decided with the support of the Judicial Council to establish provident panels of the Court of Appeal, in five locations across the country.

This five locations means the panel in Sekondi, sitting at the premises of the Sekondi High Court, will cater for appeals from the Central and Western regions; in Koforidua, sitting at the premises of the Koforidua High Court will cater for appeals from the Eastern, Volta and Oti regions, in Kumasi, sitting at the new Court of Appeal complex in Kumasi to cater for appeals from Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Western North and Ashanti regions; In Tamale to cater for appeals, filed at the registry in Tamale, from Upper West, Upper East, Northeast, Savannah and Northern regions, but heard through a virtual link in the Kumasi Court of Appeal; and in Accra, sitting at the Court of Appeal in Accra to cater for appeals from the Greater Accra Region.

The new justices are Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah, Justice Gifty, Dekyem, Justice Kofi Akrowiah, Justice Richard Mac Kogyapwah, Justice Kwasi Boakye, Justice Alexander Osei Tutu, Justice Francis Obiri, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, Justice Aboagye Tandoh, Ms. Mariam Agyeman Gyasi Jawhary and Justice Yaa Onyameye Gyakobo.

The rest are Mr Franicis Koffie, Mr. Charles William Leopold Bartels Zwennes, Barima Yaw Kodie Oppong, Mr. David Kwabena Adade Boafo and Dr. Poku Adusei.

These appointments, aside meeting the required deficit, will also cater for the void created by four Justices of Appeal, Justice Ama Gaisie, Justice Cecilia Sowah, Justice Victor Ofoe, Justice Angelina Domakyaare, who have retired from the court by virtue reaching the statutory age of retirement, and a fifth Justice Alex Poku Acheampong who is due to retire on 8th October 2024.

Touching on more interventions within the Judicial service, the President encouraged judges to take full advantage of the E-justice system to expedite the conduct of cases that come before them in the management of the court’s work, the transparent and efficient delivery of justice, builds confidence in citizens, businesses and the investor community.

He said, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development and, the District Assemblies Common Fund, twenty town houses and a Guest House and being built to be used as permanent residences for justices of the Court of Appeal based in Kumasi who are mandated handle cases in the northern part of the country.

As a result of this, “appeals from the Upper West, Upper East, Savannah, Northeast Northern, Ahafo, Bono, Eastern, Western North and Ashanti regions should now be conveniently heard within a much shorter period.”

He added that, government’s decision in 2020 to construct 100 courthouses with residential facilities nationwide has seen the construction and usage of seventy-nine court houses as of February 2024, at different sites around the country, with twenty-one projects are at various stages of completion and expected it to be completed and inaugurated this year.

“Aside the above, 121 residential units have been constructed for judges throughout the country. This project is not yet complete, but I can safely say, that we have done enough to address the perennial problem of insufficient court infrastructure in Ghana.”

He urged the new judges to approach their duties with humility, integrity and a deep sense of responsibility and ensure that every decision made is guided by the principles of fairness, justice and the rule of law.