Justice Delivery Hampered by Judge Shortage and Legal Delays – Amaleboba

Supreme Court nominee, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, has identified a shortage of judges and procedural inefficiencies as key factors slowing down Ghana’s justice system.

During her vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, she stressed the urgent need to strengthen judicial capacity to tackle the mounting backlog of cases in the courts.

“There aren’t enough judges to handle the volume of cases efficiently,” she stated.

Drawing from her time on the lower bench, Justice Amaleboba shared the immense workload faced by judges.

“In the family and divorce court, I once managed over 300 active cases as a single judge,” she revealed, underscoring the strain on the judiciary.

She added that the constant filing of new cases only compounds the challenge.

“Even as cases are being resolved, new ones are filed daily, making the lack of sufficient judges a major hurdle to timely justice.”

Justice Amaleboba also highlighted procedural challenges, especially the excessive use of interlocutory applications, which often stall progress in court cases.

“Many delays stem from repeated interlocutory applications. In some instances, when a ruling is challenged at a higher court, proceedings at the lower court must pause until that matter is resolved,” she explained.

Her remarks add to the ongoing national dialogue on the need for reforms to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of Ghana’s judicial system.