Supreme Court must prioritise cases to reduce caseload – Godfred Dame

Dame says prioritising cases will make Supreme Court efficient

Supreme Court should start dismissing cases ‘in chambers’ – Attorney General

AG urges stakeholders in judicial system to embrace the use of technology

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame, has urged the Supreme Court of Ghana to start being selective with regards to the cases it hears in court.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beach, Bar and Faculty Conference, Godfred Dame said that the move is needed to ensure that the amount of cases the court hears is reduced.

According to the AG, the court can prioritise cases it hears by starting to dismiss cases in chambers.

“… I daresay that the time has come for the Supreme Court to reduce its caseload by prioritising the kinds of cases it actually hears. The Rules of the Supreme Court should be revised to permit the “in chambers” dismissal of frivolous applications and cases, which actually constitute the bulk of cases considered by the Supreme Court every year, without the necessity of a hearing in open court.

“Only important cases with the potential of resulting in a change of the law or with immense public interest should be heard by the Supreme Court. This will lead to efficiency in the productivity of the highest court of our Republic. Clearly, to achieve this efficiency, the Judiciary will require the cooperation of the Bar,” the minister for justice said.

Also, the minister urged stakeholders in the judicial system to embrace the use of technology to improve productivity as well as reduce the cost of justice delivery.

“… failure to embrace technology and develop oneself professionally in a virtual world implies the extinction of one’s law practice,” the minister added.

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