During the 2024 State of the Nation Address, President Akufo-Addo mentioned significant progress achieved in the judicial sector under his administration. The list included the appointment of seventy-six (76) Judges and Magistrates, and filling critical vacancies across various levels of the judiciary.
These appointments involved key positions such as a new Chief Justice, two (2) Justices of the Supreme Court, twenty-three (23) High Court Judges, twenty-nine (29) Circuit Court Judges, and twenty-one (21) Magistrates. To address human resource gaps resulting from newly established courts, two hundred and sixty-two (262) staff were recruited.
In tandem with personnel reinforcements, investments were made in court infrastructure. The government embarked on a nationwide initiative to construct one hundred (100) courthouses with residential facilities, with sixty-seven (67) already inaugurated and twelve (12) more almost ready for use by February’s end.
An additional twenty-one (21) projects are on course for inauguration before May 2024. Moreover, one hundred and twenty-one (121) residential units were constructed for judges nationwide, along with twenty (20) fully furnished 4-bedroom units for Court of Appeal Justices in Kumasi.
President Akufo-Addo was emphatic about the significance of digitalization in modernizing the judicial system. A digitalization initiative was undertaken by the Judicial Service, introducing virtual court systems and real-time transcription devices in numerous courts.
By December 2023, one hundred and sixty (160) courts were equipped with transcription devices, while fifty-one (51) piloted a paperless court system in Accra, reforming court proceedings and documentation.
Highlighting the Attorney-General’s effective management of civil litigation, the President noted the substantial savings of over ten trillion Ghana cedis (GH¢10 trillion) through the avoidance of judgment debts against the state.
Additionally, President Akufo-Addo says he looked forward to the formal opening of the Law House, a twelve-storey office building set to house the Attorney-General’s offices, resolving longstanding accommodation challenges.
