Chief Justice launches small claims, debt recovery courts

The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has inaugurated a court dedicated to small claims and debt recovery.

It is to ensure the swift resolution of financial disputes, particularly credit recovery cases and claims from other institutions.  As a pilot, the cases will be heard in 12 courts – eight in the Greater Accra Region and four in the Ashanti Region. 

The courts, which will sit in the afternoons on weekdays (from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., are expected to hear more than 50,000 cases that Bills Micro-Credit Limited, formerly Quick Credit, has begun filing to recover their funds.

For the Greater Accra Region, Ashaiman, Teshie, Kasoa and La District courts will operate as Saturday courts, while the Weija, Sowutuom, District Court ‘2’, Adenta and Gbese District Courts will operate as the weekday afternoon courts.

For the Ashanti Region, Asokwa District Court ‘2’, District Court ‘1’, and the  Prempeh Assembly Hall will operate as the Saturday courts, while Circuit Court ‘2’ at Asokwa and the Asokwa Circuit Court Conference Hall will operate as the weekday afternoon courts.

Launch

At the inauguration of the courts at the La District Court in Accra yesterday, the Chief Justice explained that the move would help deal with the increase in the caseload of small claims filed by Bills Micro-Credit Limited, which posed a threat to the court shift system launched by her office earlier this year.

She said following a constructive engagement between the Judicial Service and the leadership of Bills Micro-Credit Limited, the courts had been established in the true spirit of public-private partnership for the promotion of the ultimate ends of justice.

“It is our expectation that with the launch of these Small Claims Debt Recovery Courts and cooperation of citizens, and the businesses involved, the nation can confront head-on and in a speedy manner, the challenge of the nearly 55,000 claims that Bills Micro-Credit Limited alone has expressed the intention of filing in the Lower Courts,” she said.

Chief Justice Torkornoo commended Bill Micro-Credit Limited for accepting to support the operation of the 12 pilot courts to enable them to perform their constitutional duty with speed and efficiency.

She further urged all microfinance companies that required support of increased services to inform the Office of the Judicial Secretary to enable the extra hour courts to effectively serve the needs of the whole nation.

Economy

With more than 30,000 credit recovery cases filed by Bill Micro-Credit Limited, its Founder and Board Chairman, Richard Quaye, expressed gratitude to the Judicial Service and indicated that the initiative would not only benefit financial institutions but also consumers and the wider Ghanaian economy.

“An expedited legal process benefits everyone, including creditors, debtors, and the wider community by ensuring that financial disputes are resolved promptly, thereby maintaining trust in the financial and judicial systems and encouraging continued economic activity,” he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of La Dadekotopon, Solomon Kotey Nikoi, said the assembly would leverage the establishment of the courts to improve its debt recovery activities, particularly in the areas of property rate, business operating permit, building permits, among others.