Cocoa Affairs Courts to be replaced

Dodowa, May 29,GNA- A twenty-million dollar Court Complex is to be built adjacent to the dilapidated "Cocoa Affairs" Courts building soon, Mr Kingsley Acquah, the Chief Justice said on Monday. The six-storey ultra modern building would contain thirty-four court rooms, libraries and other facilities wired with state of the art computer systems.

Mr Acquah had told the parliamentary committee on the Judiciary at a capacity building workshop at Dodowa near Accra that: "certain banks which I would not name" have agreed to fund the project. He said the judiciary had long before the collapse of the some of the structures at the place contemplated the project, which "would offer some form of relief for the general public and people who work there." According to the Chief Justice, the colossal nature of the amount involved in the funding of the project had slowed the commencement, but "I intend pushing it until we achieve our aim."

Mr Acquah also told the committee that drawings and funding were been sought to build a multi-purpose training school for the Judiciary. He said a school to be named "Judiciary Training Institute" would seek to up-date the staff of the Judiciary and at the same time help train judges from the Sub-region.

"We have had requests for training from our neighbouring countries and other Commonwealth nations. We need to make this work very soon." According to the head of the Judiciary, a two-storey building would be constructed soon within the commercial court area to expand the activities of the new court.

He said the modest project would boast of eight courtrooms and would house the yet to be established Financial Administration Tribunal and others which would be under the jurisdiction of the Commercial Courts. On the on-going administrative building for the Judiciary, he said, it is scheduled to be completed early 2007.

He said it would have space for the chambers of all Supreme and Appeal Court judges, who struggle to accommodate themselves in the few and narrow offices now available.

The Chief Justice appealed to the Committee to work hand-in-hand with the Judiciary in their mutual quest to build an honest, open and motivated administration of Justice.

"I am not the kind of person who would hide anything from you. I would be always ready to share my thoughts with you."

Mr. Yaw Baah, Chairman, said the two other committees linked with the Judiciary, which are the Constitutional, Parliamentary, and Legal and Subsidiary Committees would be convinced to have constant interaction with the Judiciary.