District Assemblies Urged To Provide Safer Courtrooms

Ms Sophia A. Akuffo, the Chief Justice has ended her three- day tour to the courts in the Greater Accra region with a call on all District Assemblies to secure befitting courtrooms and residential facilities' for circuit court judges and Magistrates.

The Chief Justice made the call when she visited the Dodowa District court that was housed in an old wooden structure with no cell for accused persons.

Ms Akuffo who was not happy with the court structure indicated that if six months after her visit the Assembly failed to get a decent place she would close down the district court.

She said the assurance by the District Assembly to relocate the district court at the Shai Traditional Council was not the best since the activities of the council would affect the sanctity of the court.

Mr Daniel Akuffo, Dodowa District Chief Executive officer who was accompanied by the District Coordinating Director Nicolas Nai Adjei said the court would temporally be located at the Shai Traditional Council premises.

At Kwabenya Circuit Court, the Chief Justice was informed that the court had no cell.

The Chief Justice and her team that also visited the Madina and Adenta District Courts earlier on visited the Courts in Accra Central, Kaneshie, Laterbiokoshie, Weija and Tema.

Ms Akuffo commenced a three-day tour to circuit and district courts in the Greater Accra Region to obtain first-hand information on the state of the courts in the country.

Last year, she visited the courts in the Northern, Upper East and Ashanti regions.

Under the law, the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies are required to provide safer courtrooms and residential accommodation for circuit Courts Judges and Magistrate to facilitate their work.