The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is asking government to immediately release funds to the Judicial Service as it currently has no money to conduct cases.
According to the association, the Judicial Service has not received its subvention, thus making the efficient running of the service impossible.
The Ghana Bar Association in a statement signed by its National President, Nene Amegatcher noted that the judicial service has been paralysed by lack of funds.
”The Ghana Bar Association notes with regret that despite the fact that the constitution guarantees financial autonomy to the judiciary, the institution virtually has to be on its knees begging government to release its subvention.
”The situation has been worsened by the fact that the judiciary has not received even the inadequate budgetary provision for over a year,” the statement said.
The GBA revealed that an annual tour by its National Executives to the Central region revealed that the living conditions and working environment of the judges and staff of the judiciary is ”inhuman and degrading”.
”…there were cracked walls, leaking roofs, poor sanitation, lack of running water and broken down air conditioners and other infrastructure. Court recording systems have all broken down, forcing judges to revert to long hand as a way of recording thereby frustrating the speedy adjudication of cases,” the GBA statement noted.
This the GBA explained compromise the security of court documents.
The GBA also noted that the crisis has caused some regional courts to suspend sittings thereby forcing litigants and lawyers to travel all the way to the capital which itself is overburdened with cases.
The Ghana Bar Association further called on President Mahama to ensure that the budgetary allocation due to the Judiciary is released ”forthwith” in accordance with the constitution.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, Public Relations Officer of the GBA, Tony Forson said ”this will enable the sorry living and working environment of judges to be rectified to give them [judges] a conducive environment to live and work and administer justice without fear or favour. ”
The GBA also complained that the 15 percent internally generated fund retained by the judiciary is ”grossly” inadequate for third arm of the state to perform its mandate in all ten regions.
”The GBA calls on Parliament, without further delay to increase the percentage of the internally generated funds, from 15% to 75%,” the statement on the state of the judiciary delivery system added.
The Judiciary is not the only institution which has had to suspend business over unpaid subvention. Reports indicate that Parliament had to suspend resumption of business for the same reason.
Some public sector workers have also threatened strike over unpaid allowances and salaries.
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana