Chief Justice asks MMDAs to maintain infrastructure of courts

The Chief Justice, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, has reiterated the need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take up the responsibility to improve the infrastructure of courts within their jurisdictions to enhance justice delivery.

The Chief Justice said this during a tour of the courts in Tema recently to assess the state of affairs of the courts and the Judicial Service staff in the metropolis.

The courts visited were the Land Court, the TDC Magistrate Court, the Circuit Court, High Courts A, B and C as well as the Community Centre District Court.

With the exceptions of the high courts, the rest of the courts visited were in poor state, requiring upgrading and furnishing.

Upgrade

She called on the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to upgrade the infrastructure of  the lower courts in order to improve the services of the Judiciary.

"My objective is that the lower courts should operate like a 21st century court where judges and magistrates and other stakeholders work in a comfortable environment because the people of Ghana deserve the best," she said.

The Chief Justice also toured the site for a proposed court complex for Tema near the former Meridian Hotel enclave where she said the Judicial Service will make efforts to source for funds towards the completion of the project which started over two decades ago.

Familiarisation

Later in an interview, the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, said familiarisation tour within the Greater Accra Region was to give the Chief Justice an opportunity to have a first-hand information on  the state of affairs at the courts and determine how suitable the courts are for judges and staff.

Justice Poku-Acheampong said it was the responsibility of the MMDAs to provide court houses and accommodation for the lower courts to enhance justice delivery.

The Metropolitan Engineer, Mr Maxwell Adu-Boateng, gave an assurance that the TMA would take the necessary steps to remedy the situation and improve on the court  infrastructure in the metropolis.