Reduce unnecessary remands, utilise Community Service Act – Chief of Staff urges judiciary

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has urged the judiciary to reduce unnecessary remands and make greater use of community service as an alternative to short custodial sentences.

Parliament passed the Community Service Bill, 2026, in July to provide a legal framework for community service as an alternative to imprisonment for specified offences.

The legislation is intended, among other things, to reduce pressure on Ghana’s prisons and promote rehabilitation.

He made the call on Wednesday, September 30, when he spoke at the maiden Annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Law Society in Accra.

The conference, held under the theme “Legal Reforms: The Place of the Ghanaian Lawyer,” brought together legal practitioners and other stakeholders to discuss reforms and the future of the legal profession.

The Chief of Staff noted that the implementation the new legislation should form part of broader efforts to reform the criminal justice system and promote rehabilitation.

“The Community Service Act is an important advance, and its implementation now matters. We should reduce unnecessary remand, expand legal representation, improve forensic capacity, and use rehabilitation where it protects society better than short custodial sentences,” he said.

Mr Debrah also stressed the need for justice to remain firm in dealing with serious crimes while ensuring that accused and convicted persons are treated with dignity.

“Just justice must remain firm against serious crime while treating every person with the dignity guaranteed by our Constitution,” he said.

The Chief of Staff further called for improvements in legal representation and forensic capacity as part of efforts to strengthen criminal justice delivery.

He also urged the legal profession to prepare for emerging challenges associated with cybersecurity, data protection, virtual assets, climate risk and the evidential questions arising from artificial intelligence.

Mr Debrah said technological changes would continue to influence legal practice but should not undermine due process or human judgment.