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Executive Chairman of Legal Aid Scheme, Ghana, Alhassan Yahaya Seini has stated that government’s inability to include lawyers of the scheme in the Single Spine Salary Structure indicates that government does not take into account the importance of their work in the delivery of justice in the country.

According to him, though they have met with government officials over the past two years, they were yet to receive what was due them.

Lawyers of Legal Aid Scheme have, thus, threatened to embark on a nationwide strike action in protest against what they describe as poor working conditions.

They say poor salaries granted by government had resulted in the lack of interest by young lawyers to join government institutions.

In an interview with the DAILY HERITAGE at the launch of the Legal Aid Week in Accra, Mr. Seini, nonetheless, acknowledged the work of government in ensuring that the lawyers receive what was due them.

“The Accountant General is working on the system of ensuring that everybody is brought on board. Hopefully the Legal Aid lawyers will be on the same level with their counterparts and colleagues in the justice delivery system,” he said.

He further told the paper that the lawyers of the scheme had not benefited from the directives of the Ministry of Finance, which according to him, had called for the strike threats by the lawyers.

“They haven’t benefited from the directives of the Ministry of Finance yet; so if they do benefit from it they won’t be raising red flags,” he mentioned.

Though he said they have not set a date for government to address their claims, Mr. Seini urged government to speed up all processes in order to stop them from embarking on a nationwide strike.

He called on government to recognize the importance of the Legal Aid workers in the delivery of justice in the country.

He was of the conviction that government will be able to solve the issue in time to save both parties from engaging in any legal war.

“Given the steps that are being taken, I don’t think we will have the need for any legal transaction,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Director of Legal Aid, Issah Mahmud, has revealed that the highest paid lawyer under the scheme receives GH¢1,500.00 compared to lawyers in other public sector establishments who receive double the amount as their least.

As part of efforts to create awareness about the work, the Legal Aid Scheme has launched the Legal Aid week celebration in Accra.

The celebration, which is under the theme ‘Access to Criminal Justice, the role of paralegal’, seeks to educate the public about the role and importance of the scheme.

Some activities to mark the celebration include a visit to some selected police stations in Accra, media interactions, and a public lecture.