The law courts in Accra were very busy yesterday as lawyers resumed work and were seen going about their normal duties with zeal.
Last Thursday, lawyers in the city withdrew their services and boycotted the courts in protest against new filing fees approved by the Chief Justice, which they described as "illegal". The lawyers said they were particularly concerned because they felt that the "illegal filing fees" had no legal backing.
Following the protest, the Chief Justice held a meeting with members of the Rules of Court Committee, after which it was decided that the new fees structure would not be implemented until the Constitutional Instrument (CI) on it came into force. On Wednesday, January 22, the Attorney General laid before Parliament CI 41, Civil Proceedings (Fees and Allowances) Rules 2003, setting out the new fees and allowances chargeable and payable to the Judicial Service for the filing and discharge of court processes. Unless annulled by Parliament by a two-thirds majority, CI 41 would become law on February 27 this year.
In coming out with the new fees, the Judicial Service felt that the old law, LI 1540 enacted in 1992, was out of touch with reality, and was costing the service a great deal of public money, and therefore, saw it expedient to come out with new fees.
