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The president of the Supreme Court has ordered the closure of the district court of Adjaben 2, located near the headquarters of the Ghana Cocoa Council (COCOBOD) in the center of Accra, as it does not allow a healthy environment for justice .
Justice Sophia Akuffo also stated that the building posed a threat to health and the environment and therefore asked the Secretary of the Judiciary to initiate the process that would formally close the court.
The yard was built with asbestos, a material resistant to heat and harmful to humans.
Its fiber, when inhaled, can lead to serious health problems, such as mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the lungs, heart, and abdomen.
The Chief Justice gave the directive yesterday when she visited the two courts of Adjaben District as part of her court tour in parts of Accra.
She reprimanded the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), which formerly exercised the jurisdiction of the region, as well as the Municipal Assembly of Korley Klottey, the new badembly responsible for the region, for allowing to the building to stay standing during all these years.
"People would not have had to operate from this building and I am surprised that the badembly allowed this to happen.
If this building is not demolished, I will continue the badembly as a private person for failing to create a safe working environment for people, "she said.
The executive director of Korley Klottey, Nii Adjei Tawiah, promised the president of the Supreme Court that the badembly would seek temporary premises for the court, while working on the construction of a new building.
Closing the courts
This is not the first time that Judge Akuffo has closed a court that does not promote justice.
In March of this year, she ordered the closure of the Central District Court Complex in Accra, which had eight courts, due to the dilapidated building.
Under the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Bill 936), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are required to provide and maintain courthouses in their localities.
Judge Akuffo has made the modernization of judicial structures one of her priorities and instructed the bademblies to improve their skills and provide more resources for the construction and maintenance of judicial structures.
If the bademblies did not do this, she said, it would force her to close what she described as "abominable" courthouses.
"We are going to close the lands in abominable buildings.
The judiciary will not continue to accept horrible working environments, "she said when she was recently sworn in to newly appointed magistrates in Accra.
Tower
During yesterday's visit, the Chief Justice also visited the Teshie-Nungua District Court in Ledzokuku Municipality, Dadekotopon La District Court and Abeka District Court in North Okaikoi. .
She was accompanied during the tour by the Secretary of the Judiciary, Mrs. Cynthia Pamela Akotoaa Addo; the President of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG), Judge Senyo Dzamefe, and some of the directors of the Judiciary.
Judge Akuffo began his visit by going first to the Accra District Court Complex, made up of 11 courts and located within the Supreme Court complex, as well as to the court of law. at the headquarters of the judicial service.
At the Court of Appeal, it was found that only one of the 11 courts had a functional air conditioner, while most of the furniture was either spoiled or in poor condition.
It was also discovered that the roof of some audience rooms had leaked, which made the courts uninhabitable when it was raining.
Teshie-Nungua District Court
The Chief Judge went to great lengths against the leaders of the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly when she visited the Teshie-Nungua District Court because of her many structural flaws and what she termed a lack of standards.
She was also unhappy that the badembly had failed to find a suitable place of residence for the magistrate, Mrs. Sedinam Awo Balokah, and asked the badembly to do so as soon as possible.
She ordered the badembly to define a plan for the construction of a tribunal worthy of a court within a month, otherwise the Judicial Service would close it.
The Teshie District Court has a leaky roof, which makes the courtroom a flood zone during rainy weather. In such circumstances, the sittings of the court must be discontinued, a situation that the Chief Justice described as unacceptable and an affront to justice.
She also stated that the court did not meet the standard of a court due to inadequate offices and lack of space.
Such a problem, she said, did not allow the services provided by the courts, such as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), in complete confidentiality.
As a result, Judge Akuffo ordered the badembly leaders to join the judicial service to obtain the prototype of standard judicial premises, as approved by the Judiciary, before embarking on the construction of a new building. court.
"I'm not happy with what I saw. This place is not suitable for a court because it does not serve the purpose of a court properly. Before the end of July, you should give us a program for the construction of an appropriate court, otherwise it will be closed, "she said.
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