A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, has cautioned chiefs against settling criminal cases such as rape and defilement in their palaces.
She explained that such cases were felonies, which could only be tried in courts of law.
Justice Mensah-Homiah said this during an engagement with some Asogli chiefs at the Asogli Palace at Ho-Bankoe on Friday, prior to the launch of the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) celebration in the Volta Regional capital.
Justice Mensah-Homiah, who is the Judge-in-Charge of ADR, made it clear that cases of murder, robbery, manslaughter, treason, and matters concerning national security could also not be heard outside the law courts.
ADR
Touching on ADR, she said family disputes, land litigation, and debt retrieval could be settled through ADR amicably without leaving any party disgruntled.
Justice Mensah-Homiah said ADR took less time and less money to settle than litigation in the law courts, which could take decades and were more expensive to the parties involved.
She said there were ADR offices across the country and mediators had been trained to handle ADR cases effectively without taking sides with the parties involved.
Further, Justice Mensah-Homiah said the cases could also be heard through virtual mediation, saying distance is no longer a barrier to ADR.Justice Mensah-Homiah said unlike litigation, which destroys relationships, mediation brought finality to the disputes and was quicker and confidential.
The Dufia of Ho-Ahoe, Togbe Kasa III, thanked the Justice of the Court of Appeal for her visit to the palace, saying it bore testimony to the respect the Judicial Service attached to the status and role of chiefs in the society.
He gave an assurance that the chiefs of Asogli were committed to collaborating with the government to ensure law and order prevailed in the traditional area.
