President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has praised the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) Administrator, Irene Naa Torshie-Lartey, for her positive role in ensuring the construction of about 100 court buildings and bungalows for Judges across the country.
Government, he pointed out, is constructing the projects in all the 16 regions of the country as part of efforts to enhance and bring justice delivery to the doorstep of all Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo said these projects, which are being carried out through the administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) form part of the justice system, designed to leverage technology in the delivery of justice.
The system, he added, is also expected to address the challenge posed by the inadequate number of courts resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts, which inadvertently weakens the Rule of Law.
President Akufo-Addo stated these when he addressed his colleague lawyers at the 2022 Ghana Bar Association conference at the G.M. Afeti Auditorium, Ho Technical University on Monday.
The event was on the theme “Ghana’s Democracy Under the Fourth Republic – Gains, Challenges and Prospects”
President Akufo-Addo reiterated that, “Through the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, happily, a learned friend, and dire I say it, a product of Merrs Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co., government is constructing one hundred (100) new courts and bungalows for Judges in all sixteen (16) Regions of the country.
“Sixty percent (60%) of these courts and bungalows have been completed, and will be commissioned before the start of the legal year in October. The remaining forty percent (40%) will be duly completed and commissioned by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
“Six new Regional High Courts are also being constructed in the newly created regions, i.e., Ahafo, Bono East, North East, Oti, Savannah and Western North”.
He added that, “three of the Courts, that is those in Ahafo, Bono East and Oti Regions, will be completed and ready for commissioning, again, before October.
“The other three, that is those in North East, Savannah and Western North, which are at eighty percent (80%) completion, will be ready for commissioning by the end of the first quarter of 2023”.
Court of Appeal complex
President Akufo-Addo also indicated that a new, modern Court of Appeal complex in Kumasi, together with 20 townhouses and a guesthouse to serve as permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges based in Kumasi, who will be mandated to handle appeals from the northern sector of the country, will also be completed and commissioned before the end of October.
Transformation
President Akufo-Addo said his administration is committed to its vision of transforming the Judiciary.
“We have launched the e-justice system, which is designed to leverage technology in the delivery of justice, and we are also addressing the challenge posed by the inadequate numbers of courts in various parts of the country, resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts, and, thereby, weakening the rule of law”, he added.
About DACF
The District Assemblies Common Fund was established by the District Assembly Common Fund Act 1993, (Act 455) under Article 242.
The purpose of setting up the fund was to provide resources to support the developmental activities of the local government.
It is a fund created out of the consolidated fund to channel resources from the central government to the local governments for development.
The DACF is a pool of resources created under section 252 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
It is financed from a minimum of 5% of total tax revenue transferred quarterly into it, income from investment of the fund and lastly, donations and grants.
The 5% of the national revenue is shared among all District Assemblies in Ghana with a formula approved by Parliament.
The DACF is a Development Fund, which enables the use of the nation’s wealth throughout Ghana to the benefit of all citizens.
