The Chief Justice has issued a directive that only persons connected to a court case would be allowed in courtrooms following the recording of six confirmed cases of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ghana.
This means only parties and witnesses involved in a case would be allowed. Graphic Online’s court reporter, Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson reports that in his directive on measures to curb the COVID-19, the Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah also banned the hearing of all trials that involve the movement of remand prisoners from prison to the court.
PRESS RELEASE
JUDICIARY’S STEPS TO PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN COURTS NATIONWIDE
Following the directive of His Excellency the President for measures to be put in place by institutions to combat the spread of COVID-19, the following arrangements have been made by the Judiciary, whilst the courts continue to operate:
a. Courts will practice strict case management techniques such that only parties and witnesses in cases listed to be heard on particular dates would be allowed into the court room to avoid large gatherings.
b. Judges and Magistrates should endeavour to adjourn cases to specific times on given dates, to limit the number of people that will be allowed into the court room. Cause lists should be reduced drastically for few cases to be listed for hearing.
c. Judges and Magistrates should only hear cases which are of extreme urgency and as far as possible, exercise great restraint in remanding accused persons, in order to avoid overcrowding the prisons and police cells.
d. Judges and Magistrates should suspend the hearing of cases involving the movement of convicted and remand prisoners from the prisons to the Courts. In criminal appeals the Courts should dispense with the appearance of the appellants who are in prison custody.
e. Sanitizers are being provided for Court Users and arrangements are being made to have the court rooms regularly disinfected.
f. In order to protect the Staff of the Service and the public and those who will interact with them, steps have been taken to provide them with face masks, gloves and sanitizers.
The Judiciary requests the cooperation of all Court Users and the general public in the implementation of these arrangements.
SIGNED: …………………………………………………….
HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANIN YEBOAH
CHIEF JUSTICE
Source: Graphic Online
