Chief Justice of Ghana, Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, has issued a firm directive to court registrars nationwide, instructing them not to assign any juror to more than one court during the 2025 criminal assizes, which officially began today.
Speaking at the opening of the criminal session in Accra, the Chief Justice emphasized the need for effective and speedy trials.
“The following administrative directions already exist for presiding judges and registrars of high courts where trials on indictment are to be held to assist in speedy and effective trials,” she stated.
“Please ensure that under no circumstances is any juror placed on the list of more than one court, thereby eliminating the possibility of any juror being involved in cases pending in more than one court,” she added.
She further directed that trials must be conducted daily and concluded within a few days before a new trial begins, urging judges to strictly observe the Effective Case Completion Planning Strategies of 2019, as outlined in the 2017–2020 1 SCGLR 422, along with the Practice Direction on Jury Trials, which came into effect in May 2024.
These directives are part of broader reforms to Ghana’s jury system, which were introduced at the Law Complex in Accra. One major change is the expansion of the juror pool to include private sector citizens, ending the traditional reliance on public sector clerical staff and teachers.
The reforms aim to enhance fairness, transparency, and efficiency in the criminal justice system.
Other measures accompanying the 2025 criminal assizes include:
Continuous daily hearings from start to finish for each case.
Mandatory full disclosure by the prosecution before jury empanelment, in line with the Supreme Court ruling in Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie v. The Republic.
Use of assessors for selected cases to ease the jury burden.
Strict attendance enforcement for jurors and accused persons.
Improved coordination with police and prison officers for timely appearances and evidence presentation.
Issuance of orders to compel witness attendance when necessary.
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