Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo today led the formal opening of the 2025 Criminal Assizes Session at the Accra Law Court Complex Auditorium, marking a major milestone in Ghana’s justice delivery system and the revival of jury trials across the country.
In a firm call to action, the Chief Justice urged judges to enforce strict attendance among jurors and warned that absenteeism would not only disrupt trials but also result in forfeiture of juror allowances.
“This is a historic return of an important judicial tradition that had been long paused,” she told a packed auditorium of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, members of the Ghana Bar Association, and civic stakeholders. “The time for change has come.”
The reopening of criminal assizes follows more than a year of preparatory work after the launch of the Chief Justice’s “Leading Justice” initiative on April 8, 2024.
The initiative aims to reform and strengthen the justice delivery system, ensuring ethics, due process, access, and legal accountability remain at the core of judicial processes.
A central focus of her address was the overhaul of the jury system. Chief Justice Torkornoo lamented the outdated practice of drawing jurors primarily from clerical staff in public institutions—leading to a situation where some individuals served on multiple jury panels for years.
“The jury pool had become narrow and unsustainable. We ended up with what were essentially ‘professional jurors,’” she said.
She announced that the pool has now been significantly expanded to include all eligible Ghanaians aged 25 to 60, including those in the private sector.
Further reforms ensure that no juror will serve in more than one court at a time, reducing conflict and inefficiency.
Under the new criminal assizes format, trials are expected to run from start to finish over consecutive days, with the goal of completing each trial within a few days.
This day-to-day format, she emphasized, will not only ensure efficient use of jurors’ time but also eliminate prolonged adjournments that have long plagued the system.
Judges are now required to comply with established case completion strategies from 2019 and adhere to new practice directions introduced in May 2024 to fast-track jury trials.
In another major reform, the Chief Justice underscored the importance of full and timely disclosure by prosecutors. Referencing the landmark 2017 Supreme Court ruling in Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie v. The Republic, she said such disclosures must precede the empaneling of jurors.
“Full disclosure is not just a legal requirement—it’s a gateway to justice,” she stated, adding that early filings can also pave the way for plea bargaining and prevent unnecessary delays.
She called on all key actors in the justice system—lawyers, police officers, prison officials, prosecutors, and court staff—to collaborate closely and maintain high professional standards.
Prosecution representatives welcomed the reforms, expressing confidence that the expedited trial system would improve public trust in justice delivery.
“We look forward to seeing accused persons tried within days, as is done in other jurisdictions,” said a senior prosecutor.
The Ghana Bar Association and the Director of Public Prosecutions also pledged their support, emphasizing the need for inter-agency cooperation.
Chief Justice Torkornoo praised the efforts of appellate justices, directors within the Judicial Service, regional supervising judges, and members of the Legal Aid Commission for their dedication to the reforms.
She gave special thanks to the media for raising public awareness and sparking national interest in the revival of criminal assizes.
“This collaborative effort is what makes reform possible,” she concluded.
“Together, we will build a justice system that delivers fairness swiftly and effectively.”
