AG Reforms Ghana’s Jury System

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Gloria Akuffo says amendments are being made to the composition of the jury system to reflect modern legal standards and enhance delivery of impeccable justice in the country.

The amendment comes on the back of years of scathing criticism of the system by some Ghanaian legal luminaries, who have described the system as anachronistic.

Madam Akufo made the disclosure at a forum with staff of the Attorney General’s Department in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

She bemoaned the sordid state of the regional offices of her Ministry.

The jury system, originally from the English Common Law was entrenched in the 1992 constitution of Ghana and it requires that all capital offences are tried by a judge and seven-member jury of which the absence of a member of the jury either due to ill health or death can stall a case for a very long time.

The law only requires jurors to understand the English language and have no criminal records.

The juries are ordinary citizens whose senses of judgments are based on application of common sense instead of legal perspective making their verdicts mostly weak but not subjected to appellate review.

SOURCE: starrfmonline
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