Special courts for robbery, narcotic cases

Justice Georgina Wood has elected twelve High Courts and twelve Circuit Courts across the country to deal exclusively with criminal cases.

The cases which will be dealt with are; Robbery, Narcotics, Rioting with weapons, Taking part in unlawful assembly with an offensive weapon or missile, contrary to section 202(2) of Act 29, Importation of explosives, contrary to sections 179B and 179D of Act 29, as amended by the criminal code (Amendment) Act, 1993 (Act 458), and Offences under the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1972(NRCD) in vol.2 of the laws of Ghana.

This exercise took off on 2nd July 2008, with courts in Accra already working on these cases.

According to the Chief Justice, in areas where there is only one High Court and or Circuit Court, those courts will be responsible for handling such cases however; the court will not entertain any civil and other criminal cases but will deal exclusively with the cases listed above.

The Chief Justice has therefore appealed to the general public, especially complainants and those who will be invited to the courts as witnesses, Police Prosecutor, Legal Practitioners in private practice and public service, to give their maximum co-operation to the courts in order to have these cases disposed of expeditiously.