Tribunal system another new bureaucracy; digilize existing courts — Afenyo-Markin to govt
Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged the government to channel resources into strengthening Ghana's existing courts instead of establishing a new tribunal system, arguing that the country's judicial structure is effective but requires better funding and modernisation.
Speaking during parliamentary debate on the proposed Tribunals Bill, 2026, on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said improving justice delivery should focus on equipping the courts with the necessary resources, embracing digital technology and addressing operational challenges rather than creating additional judicial institutions.
According to him, Ghana's current court system is fully capable of dispensing justice if it is adequately supported.
"The justice architecture we have is not a broken architecture," he told Parliament. "We have a district court. We have a circuit court. We have a high court. We have a court of appeal and a supreme court."
The Tribunals Bill seeks to revive public tribunals as part of Ghana's judicial system to improve access to justice and strengthen the administration of justice. The proposed legislation would establish district and regional tribunals to operate alongside the conventional courts under constitutional safeguards, oversight mechanisms and due process protections.
It also aims to operationalise Article 126 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides for tribunals but has remained largely inactive.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, however, argued that creating additional judicial institutions would not solve the challenges facing the justice system.
Instead, he said, the government should prioritise upgrading existing courts, improving infrastructure and accelerating the digitalisation of judicial services.
"Instead of improving on the structures and resourcing the courts, help the courts to be fully digitalized, help the courts to have the necessary tools to administer justice, then you say you are creating another bureaucracy to bring a new tribunal," he said.
The Minority Leader maintained that while the Constitution empowers Parliament to establish tribunals, it does not make their creation mandatory.
"The Constitution says Parliament may determine. I am saying that this Parliament must know that the justice architecture we have is not a broken architecture," he stated.
He also questioned how the proposed tribunals would fit into Ghana's existing judicial hierarchy, asking whether they would be responsible for civil or criminal matters.
"Is it going to be in charge of civil matters or criminal matters? I am asking rhetorically," he remarked.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that investing in the capacity of the existing courts would have a greater impact on improving access to justice than establishing parallel institutions.
The government, however, maintains that the Tribunals Bill is intended to strengthen the justice delivery system by activating the constitutional tribunal framework and expanding access to justice. It says the proposed tribunals will operate alongside the existing courts under clearly defined oversight arrangements and procedural safeguards designed to uphold due process and protect human rights.
Despite those assurances, Mr. Afenyo-Markin insisted that the government's priority should be to strengthen the courts already in place rather than create what he described as another layer of bureaucracy within the judicial system.