A Rule of Law Specialist with the Legal Resources Centre, Enoch Jengre has entreated government to retool the Legal Aid Commission to enable it achieve its mandate of providing legal services, to the poor withou hindrances.
Speaking at a sensitization workshop in Tamale, Mr. Jengre noted that resourcing the Commission would attract more lawyers and other paralegal experts to the Commission. This he said will help reduce delays in the prosecution of cases involving remand prison inmates and other suspects who are often denied the right to justice.
According to him, inadequate budgetary allocation, logistics, and lawyers to enable the Commission to operate effectively and efficiently in the delivery of justice, especially for the poor, has caused frustration for many of such people.
The Rule of Law Specialist stated that the poor state of the Legal Aid Commission dents Ghana’s democratic credentials, as a chunk of the citizens are unable to get representation in Court. “With more legal personnel and other essential things the Commission will be able to execute its mandate supporting many vulnerable and less privileged people in society,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief of Party for the JSSA, Ms. Daphne Lariba Nabila, has urged the security services especially the police to enhance its monitoring of cases they prosecute using the CTS online portal.
USAID Justice Sector Support Activity
The USAID Justice Sector Support Activity is an intervention that seeks to reinforce efforts by the US Government to enhance Ghana’s justice delivery system by increasing Citizen Oversight and Monitoring of Criminal Cases, increasing citizen knowledge and access to Justice Sector services, and strengthening advocacy for accountability of key justice sector institutions for improved justice delivery in Ghana.
