Legal regime too expensive in Ghana - Nana Oye

Accra, June 16, GNA - Nana Oye Lithur, Executive Director of Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC), on Wednesday expressed concern about the c ost of seeking redress in the country, saying it's too expensive and hinders the vulnerable access to justice. He said "Consultation fees for senior counsel are Fifty Ghana Cedis,

and 25 Ghana Cedis for junior counsel whilst the hourly rate for senior counsel is fixed at 300 dollars per hour and that for junior counsel is 1 50 dollars per hour".

Nana Oye was speaking at a public a three-day public forum, organis ed by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science (GAAS) in Accra, under the gener al theme: "Governance in Ghana; Challenges to Administrative Justice, Anti-Corruption and Access to Justice". She noted that the average cost of filing a writ in the High Court where the claim does not exceed 10,000 Ghana cedis, is 20 dollars whilst filing of a writ of summons at the District Court where the claim is belo w 100 Ghana cedis, is one dollar.

Speaking on the topic; "The Vulnerable and Access to Justice," Nana Oye explained that access to justice is the ability of these formal, informal

and traditional mechanisms of justice to be more accessible to the poor a nd disadvantaged. She said it must include the provision of speedy and affordable justi ce that will result in justice establishment of Alternate dispute resolution

mechanisms, arbitration tribunals, mediation centres, traditional courts,

the Police Service. Nana Oye said that apart from the financial limitations, the number o f lawyers also served as another obstacle to the vulnerable, stressing that

statistic at the General Legal Council indicates that 536 licences were issued to lawyers to practice as at June 10, 2010.

"The Ghana Bar Association had also registered about 1300 as fully p aid up members within the same period. With a rough estimate of 3,000 lawyers to the 22 million Ghanaians, the ratio of lawyers to our population is one lawyer for every 7,333 people in Ghana," she said. Nana Oye said statistics indicate that there were 9 Supreme Court judges, 26 courts of appeal judges, 73 high court judges, 59 circuit cour t judges and 141 magistrates. On the geographical distribution of high courts in the Country, Nana

Oye said that Greater Accra with a population of about three million has 29 High Courts and 13 Circuit Courts; Eastern Region with a population of ab out two million has five High Courts and 9 Circuit Courts.

The others are Brong Ahafo with a population of 1.8 million has four

High Courts and nine Circuit Courts; Ashanti region with population of ab out 3.6 million has eight High Courts and eleven Circuit Courts; Central regi on with a population of 1.5 million has five High Courts and five Circuit Courts and Western region with a 1.9 million has seven High Courts and fo ur Circuit Courts. The rest are Volta Region with a population of 1.6 million has five High Courts and 9 Circuit Courts; Northern Region with a population of 1. 8 million has two High Courts and four Circuit Courts; Upper East with population of about one million has two High Courts and two Circuit Court s and Upper West population of about 600,000 has only one High Court and no r Circuit Court. Nana Oye said geographical access to courts in Ghana is therefore a

challenge as there are 65 circuit courts in Ghana and 61 sitting circuit court judges. The forum was chaired by Professor Francis Kwesi Nkrumah, Vice Preside nt of Ghana Academe of Arts and Sciences. 16 June 10