Absentee jurors face court sanction over consistent absence after receiving duty allowances

The High Court in Accra has issued a stern warning to members of the jury who have consistently been absenting themselves from court proceedings to desist from the act or face sanctions from May 24, 2023.

On Monday, May 22, 2013, virtually all the indictable cases in court including the murder trial of the late Major Maxwell Mahama had to be adjourned because, the jury panel was not properly constituted.

The trend continued on Tuesday, May 23, where most of the indictable cases that required the presence of the jury had to be adjourned because some of them were absent for various reason.

This, development, has led to force adjournment of cases since Monday, May 22 to Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

It would be recalled that on April 18, Members of the Jury abandoned their court duties over 13 months unpaid allowances.

But their allowances have since been said to have been resolved and not owed by government, yet they have either been reporting to court late or absenting themselves all together.

Last warning

In court on Tuesday, May 24, 2023, the resumption of the jury trial of the Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu’s case had to be adjourned due to the absence of a juror.

Earlier this morning, another murder case suffered a similar fate with Justice Lydia Osei Marfo looking frustrated with the situation before issuing her warning.

“In recent times, the jury have had to absent themselves on the claims that the government owes them,” Justice Lydia Osei Marfo said.

“I am told their conditions have been met about a month ago,” and “They are not owed and yet some of them have consistently refused to appear in the trials that they have been empaneled,” the judge intimated.

Unhappy with the recent happenings, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo issued a stern warning to the jurors that from May 25, 2023, the court will apply the applicable sanctions.

“The warning should go to them (jurors) that as from tomorrow, (Wednesday, May 24), any juror that will come to this court late or refused to come to this court in cases they have been empaneled would be sanctioned as the rules stipulates in Act 30,” Justice Osei Marfo stated.

JB killers case

Prior to adjourning the JB Danquah Adu’s case where Daniel Asiedu, alias Sexy Don Don and Vincent Bossu to May 24, the court explained the circumstances of how the investigator in the matter had to come to court only for the case to be adjourned to the absence of a juror.

“Today is for the continuation of Evidence-in-Chief of 8th Prosecution Witness – Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, now a Cadet Officer at the Police College.”

“Upon our request, he had been released to come and conclude his evidence in this case”, the court said.

“Unfortunately, the jury is not fully constituted although everyone of us in the team is present,” the court expressed.