The deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) has sent Ghanaian courts scurrying for cover as the courts ban people other than litigants and witnesses from courtrooms during hearings.
A statement released by the new Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah reads; “Courts will practice strict case management techniques such that only parties and witnesses in cases listed to be heard on particular dates would be allowed into the courtroom to avoid large gatherings.”
The Chief Justice has also ordered judges across the country to avoid unnecessarily remanding accused persons in a move to reduce overcrowding in Ghanaian prisons, “Judges and Magistrates should only hear cases which are of extreme urgency and as far as possible, exercise great restraints in remanding accused persons, in order to avoid overcrowding the prisons and police cells,” the statement ordered.
Also, judges and magistrates in the country have been asked to suspend hearing cases that involve convicted and remand prisoners being moved to the court, “Judges and Magistrates should suspend the hearing of cases involving the movement of convicted and remand prisoners from the prisons to the Courts. In criminal appeals, the Court should dispense with the appearance of the appellant who are in prison custody.”
Meanwhile, the courts are being stocked with sanitisers and would be subjected to regular disinfecting.
Ghanaian courts had to resort to these extreme measures because of the high transmission rate of the human-to-human Covid-19 which reportedly originated in Wuhan China.
It has so far infected over 150,000 people and has killed approximately 5,000 people since December 2019.