The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, has argued that Ghana does not need the proposed tribunal system to address delays in the justice delivery process.
The Asante Akim Central MP said existing courts, with the necessary support and reforms, are capable of dealing with the backlog of cases that the government has cited as a reason for introducing the Tribunals Bill.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom, Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi questioned the justification provided by the Attorney General for the legislation, which identified overburdened courts and case backlogs as the main challenges the bill seeks to address.
He said the judiciary already has mechanisms to create specialised courts where necessary, making the establishment of tribunals unnecessary.
“What Attorney General told us as part of the Memorandum was that the bill is going to kill the overburdened cases, the backlog. But the Chief Justice has the right to create more courts because we have specialised courts in Ghana,” he said.
Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi argued that if the objective is to speed up trials, the focus should rather be on strengthening the existing judicial system instead of creating a parallel structure.
He also rejected claims that tribunals are needed to support the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, insisting that existing laws are sufficient to prosecute offenders.
“Galamsey is killing us, we know, but the solution is not making a law. There are laws there and they can clamp those unlawful activities down. You don’t need a bill,” he said.
The Minority has opposed the Tribunals Bill, arguing that it could create duplication within Ghana’s justice system and raise concerns about the quality and independence of adjudication.
Parliament, however, has passed the bill, with the Majority maintaining that the tribunal system will help improve access to justice and reduce delays in the determination of cases.
