Bolgatanga, Sept. 3, GNA - A Bolgatanga District Magistrate, Mr. Gabriel Odame Adufu, on Tuesday called for the provision of all relevant structures involved in juvenile justice administration to allow for the efficient prosecution of juvenile related cases.
He said structures such a juvenile courts, remand homes and child panels are necessary ingredients for the fair and just prosecution of juveniles, adding that if the loud talk about the rights of the child would be meaningful, then those structures ought to be in p lace. Mr. Adufu was speaking on the topic juvenile in conflict with the law at a day's workshop on the juvenile capital.
The workshop was organised by the department of social welfare with funding from UNICEF, and was attended by district police commanders, district directors of prisons, the women and juvenile unit WAJU of the police service and staff of DSW.
Mr Adufu said the establishment of remand homes for juveniles is a constitutional mandate of the justice system in the country adding that prosecution of juveniles especially in the region was frustrating because of the absence of the very structures needed to dispenses justice.
The magistrate indicated that remanding a juvenile offender is far from conviction, and said in cases where a juvenile is to be remanded; the tendency to add him to adult offenders either in prison or police custody is obvious, with its attendant consequences although it is against regular justice administration.
He further indicated that no matter how grievous the crime, a juvenile is not liable to prison sentence and said the absence of remand homes is a major problem confronting the courts, the police and DSW, adding that in cases, parents of juvenile offenders often could mot be traced.
Mr Adufu therefore, called for the immediate establishment of those structures to make the dispensation of juvenile justice a reality and to pre-empt tendencies of juveniles committing further offences.
Mr Adufu noted that issues on children's welfare have assured paramount importance throughout the world, and cited various laws in Ghana, including the Children's Act 560, the UN standards on juvenile justice, section four of the criminal code amendment act, among others, as some relevant laws on juvenile justice.
The regional director of DSW, Mr Raphael Agbontor in a welcoming address said the workshop had become necessary in view of the need for stakeholders to appreciate the problems involved in juvenile justice delivery. He called on the participants to contribute actively to ensure the success of the workshop.
