Legal Aid constitutes review committee to address legal aid cases

Anthony Forson Junior, the National President of the Ghana Bar has urged the Government to prioritize the legal Aid system with adequate funding to meet the Justice need of the vulnerable.

He said over the period, the lack of public education, unavailability of funds, government not prioritizing the legal aid and lack of understanding of the philosophical concept of access to justice as well as the rule of law are some of the challenges facing the Legal Aid Commission.

The Bar President said this during the Swearing in ceremony of a three member Legal Review Committee by the Western Regional Office of the Legal Aid Commission.

The three-member Review Committee would look into cases that were not granted legal Aid attention in time passed by the Commission in the Region and see how best Justice could be served to the people involved.

The Review Committee is chaired by Her ladyship Justice Afia Nyarko Adu Amankwa.

Mr Forson Junior encouraged the Committee members to work hard in conformity with the rules and regulations guiding their call to avoid image crisis and professional malpractices.

He advocated that the Commission should establish offices across all District capitals with at least a lawyer to handle cases.

The Bar President called on other stakeholders including; the Department of children and the Department of Social Welfare to support activities of the committee to enable them execute their duties effectively.

The Western Regional Director of the Legal Aid Commission, Mrs. Sweetie Sowah said the commission existed to ensure that all citizens had equal access to justice and equal treatment before the law.

The Commission as a public defender, was able to provide legal services to Ghanaians who ordinarily could not afford legal services.

Mrs. Sowah said the Review Committee would among other things serve as an appellate for legal aid applicants who were turned down in their cases.