Jurors in Ghana have laid down their working tools after the government failed to pay their 10-month allowance arrears.
In a statement, they clarified that the decision is a result of non-payment of their February 2023 allowance, along with outstanding payments from July 2023 to May 2024, amounting to 10 months of arrears.
“We wish to respectfully bring to your attention that effective Thursday, May 16, 2024, jurors will be absent from jury duties The absence is due to the non-payment of our allowance for February 2023 and from July 2023 to May 2024, (10 month’s allowance in arrears).”
The Jurors hinted that, after several promises from the government to pay them by May, yet, the government says there’s no money, however, the ‘situation has made it practically impossible for us to continue to pre-finance our transportation to and from Court premises’.
Read below the statement by the Jurors
We wish to respectfully bring to your attention that effective Thursday, May 16, 2024, jurors will be absent from jury duties
The absence is due to the non-payment of our allowance for February 2023 and from July 2023 to May 2024, (10 month’s allowance in arrears).
This situation has made it practically impossible for us to continue to pre-finance our transportation to and from Court premises.
We were promised May and upon follow up we have been told there is no money.
We regret any inconvenience our absence may have on the expeditious delivery of justice.
With the announcement of their strike, indictable court cases will be heavily affected since jurors will not be present for the hearings.
Cases such as the Joseph Boakye Danquah murder trial, Gregory Afoko trial, and Kasoa teenage killers murder trial among others will be forced not to sit.
