The Ghana Remand Review Taskforce, the body implementing the Justice for All Programme (JFAP) has announced that beginning October this year the Program will be decentralized to enhance the efficiency of the exercise.
The Justice For All Pragramme is an initiative aimed at alleviating prison overcrowding through setting up special court sittings to adjudicate 6 months and above remand prisoner cases in prisons throughout the country.
The Programme was initiated in 2007 by the then Attorney-General’s Department/Minister for Justice, Hon. Joe Ghartey in close collaboration with the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, Lawyers, as well as Civil Society groups.
The program has led to a significant reduction of Prisoners on remand without trial from 33% in 2007 to 12% in 2019.
More than 1,000 inmates have been discharged, while about another 1000 have been granted bail with 500 convicted since the program began.
However, the Program has been centralized since its inception with Justice Clement Honyenuga-Appeals Court Judge criss-crossing the length and breath of this country to administer justice to prisoners on remand for long period without trial.
Chairman of the Ghana Remand Review Taskforce, Justice Clement Honyenugah told the media in Koforidua the scheduled decentralisation of the program will be Presided over by High Court Judges at the Regional Levels to make the exercise more robust.
He said the Justice for All Program has for the first time since its implementation, received funding from the government of Ghana.
“We are very very grateful to the government of Ghana especially the President who heeded our call. It is clear indeed that the Ghana Beyond Aide Agenda is in the often. Hitherto, we had to hold our cup in hand begging our foreign donors for funding, so now ,the program is well grounded and funded by the government of Ghana.”
Meanwhile, Justice Honyenugah is worried over alarming murder cases being recorded by various courts in the country. He made the observation at Koforidua Prisons Friday, August 2, 2019 after the Justice For All Program heard 55 applications out of which 17 remand prisoners were discharged unconditionally, 21 granted bail, while refused 10 bail applications. Two inmates were convicted while 5 cases truck out.Most of the cases were murder cases.The number discharged is record highest in the history of the program in a day sitting.
Many of the beneficiaries had been on remand between one to 9 years without trial.
An Assistant State Attorney at the Eastern Regional office of the Attorney General’s Department, Helen Samlafo, blamed slow investigations by the Police on murder cases to delay in trial of accused persons on remand.
Some of the discharged remand prisoners lauded the program amidst concerns of infrigement of their human right for long detention without trial urging government to sustain the Justice for All program.
The Officer in Charge of Koforidua Prison,Bob Dery said the Prison is overcrowded by almost double its holding capacity of 400 inmates leading to several health challenges.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah