Remand Suspects In Limbo As Judiciary Struggles To Find Its Feet

The fate of suspects on remand hangs in the balance as financial crisis hit the country�s Judiciary. The situation has resulted in the closing of some courts including the appeal courts in the Eastern, Central and Ashanti regions. The courts simply do not have the finances to continue sitting. What it means is that if you are on remand, you may have to wait a while longer in custody. The Ghana Bar Association in a strongly worded statement says government has failed to release approved budgetary allocations to the judiciary for more than a year resulting in a near total breakdown of the justice delivery system. This has affected work as some courts lack basic things like stationery. The GBA is therefore asking the President to as a matter of urgency ensure that the budgetary allocation due the judiciary is released. Tony Forson who speaks for the GBA said if this is not addressed the judicial arm of government would grind to a halt. He said there has been a recall of the court of appeal in the Central Region and other regions to be heard in Accra. He said even in Accra alone, the Judicial service is unable to supply A4 sheets for use by the judiciary. Mr Forson called for the increase to 75 per cent the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) the Judicial Service withholds for use by the Service. Currently, the Service sends 85 per cent of the IGF into the consolidated fund and keeps only 15 per cent for use. Joy News has learnt that the Court of Appeal in Kumasi is one of the courts that have been shut down. Luv FM�s Erastus Asare Donkor reports from Kumasi that the Appeals court session is now being used as High Court. According to him, persons who have cases at the Appeals Court in Kumasi have been directed to go to Accra and that has been problematic not just to the parties involved but the judges as well.