The Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has called for urgent reforms to ensure faster, more accessible, and transparent justice delivery in Ghana, as the country marks the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
Speaking at the official launch of the anniversary celebration in Accra on Thursday, April 16, 2026, he stressed that the future of the judiciary must be defined by efficiency, accessibility, and public trust.
“This anniversary must therefore be remembered as a commitment: to faster justice, to accessible justice, to transparent justice, and to a Judiciary worthy of the enduring trust of the Ghanaian people,” he stated.
The Chief Justice acknowledged that despite progress made over the years, challenges such as delays, congestion, and barriers to access continue to affect the justice system.
“Should congestion and delays still burden our courts?” he questioned, highlighting the need for continuous reform. He also pointed to structural issues, including reliance on manual processes and the impact of cost, geography, and time on access to justice.
He emphasised that addressing these challenges is critical to maintaining confidence in the judiciary. “Delayed justice is diluted justice… distant justice is denied justice,” he noted.
As part of ongoing reforms, he outlined measures already being implemented to improve system efficiency. These include the rollout of the E-Justice Programme, which introduces digital filing, virtual hearings, and digitised records, as well as extended court sittings through the Two Streams system.
The Chief Justice also highlighted the establishment of specialised courts and ongoing revisions to the Rules of Court to ensure procedures support, rather than hinder, the delivery of justice.
He maintained that the judiciary must evolve to meet the needs of a modern society, warning that “longevity, without renewal, is a quiet form of decline.”
The anniversary, themed “Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Defining the Future,” is expected to feature a series of activities, including public lectures, legal aid outreach, and other initiatives aimed at strengthening public engagement with the justice system.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
