Develop framework to enhance justice delivery system—Asantehene

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for the development of the necessary legal framework to support the adaptation of diversionary measures in the country's justice delivery system.

He said resolution of disputes by recourse to the time-tested customary arbitration and mediation were not only less expensive but also cost effective.
The Asantehene said there was therefore the need to develop the necessary legal framework to support the development of such concepts within the framework of modern society.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call at the opening of this year's annual general meeting of the Ghana Bar Association in Kumasi, on Monday.
The four-day meeting was under the theme “the legal profession in a globalised world”.
The Asantehene said inadequate infrastructure coupled with the lack of personnel and other resources made access to justice in the formal court system burdensome, which required reforms in the justice delivery system.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said in an attempt to introduce reforms, the country often times ignored to consider introspection of what already existed in society.
He said arbitration and mediation had from time immemorial been employed as an effective form of dispute resolution by traditional rulers, heads of family, elders of society and notables and stressed the need for its effective incorporation in the country's judiciary and justice delivery system.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the traditional entity had instituted measures to respond to the growth and complexity of society in a large measure.
He said chiefs had under the new chieftaincy Act of 2008, Act 759, formally given legislative backing to diversionary method of access to justice and justice delivery in their system by guaranteeing customary arbitration as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method.
He called on the lawyers to use the conference to seriously consider the issue of ADR and come out with suggestion to reform the country's access to justice delivery.
Mr Joe Ghartey, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, announced that government was preparing a national Oil and Gas Policy as well as Oil and Gas Master Plan for oil production in Ghana.
Under the plan, an oil and gas regulatory authority will be established while the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) would be converted into a limited liability company.
The Minister said strategies were also being developed for the integration of the private sector into the development of the petroleum industry.
Mr Ghartey said the Legal Service Board had established an Oil and Gas Division at the Attorney General's Office while some selected lawyers from the Office had also been sponsored to prepare programmes in Oil and Gas renowned universities in the world.
He said a commercial court would also be established at Essikado near Sekondi to deal with disputes arising from oil and gas production.
Mr Ghartey Suggested the establishment of the Committee on oil and gas within the GBA, to examine all options that the BAR should take to enable members to contribute effectively to the development of oil and gas industry in Ghana.
Mrs Georgina Wood, the Chief Justice, said the legal profession was at the cross-road of evolution and development world-wide.
She urged members of the Bar to recognize the changing times and take genuine steps to shed off the traditional approach to offering services and reorient and manage affairs in a manner that would reflect the changing times.
Mrs Wood said the country's discovery of oil gave the BSR limited options as to how to manage legal practice in Ghana if members wanted to take their rightful place in the scheme of affairs.
She said one-man legal practice which most lawyers were used to was totally outdated and could not meet the demands of the time and called for partnerships to enable lawyers to undertake challenging tasks.
Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, called on members of the GBA to prevail on political party leaders to be circumspect in their utterances in order not to inflame passion during the campaigns leading to 2008 Election.
Mr Benson Nuchikpin, Acting President of the GBA, called on government not to neglect other sectors of the economy as a result of the oil find and also use oil money judiciously to the benefit of the people.