By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe on Monday proposed the introduction of timelines into Ghana’s jurisprudence as part of reforms aimed at improving efficiency.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in the Ghanaian capital of Accra for his vetting to be approved for the apex court, he emphasized the need to address delays in the adjudication of cases, particularly criminal matters.
Justice Dzamefe’s proposals come amid growing public frustration over the slow pace of court proceedings, with some cases dragging on for several years.
“I also think we must set timelines for cases — so let’s say, criminal cases three months, and civil for six months. There should be time limits; no criminal case should go beyond three months, no civil case should go beyond a certain period of time,” said the Supreme Court nominee.
According to him, implementing fixed durations for case resolution would help restore public confidence and ensure timely justice delivery.
He further called for investment in both infrastructure and human capital within the judiciary, noting that no reform could be successful without prioritizing the welfare and capacity of judicial staff.
“Anybody who wants to maximise productivity must first think of the human resource, because it’s a mistake a lot of people make. First, think of people who will give you the product,” he added.
Addressing infrastructural needs, Justice Dzamefe advocated for the establishment of more courts to reduce caseload pressure on existing facilities saying “we need more courts so that the job will be spread thin, and it will go faster,” he noted.
He also highlighted the critical role of technology in modernizing court operations. He called for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), voice recording, transcription tools, and virtual courtrooms to replace outdated manual systems.
“We must go with technology. The time of long handwriting is long gone past. We must be abreast with time, otherwise we will be left out,” he further stated. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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