Justice of the Court of Appeal, Her Ladyship Justice Angelina Mensah Aomiah, has stressed the Judiciary’s commitment to ensuring fairness and access to justice for remand prisoners.
Speaking during the pre-media engagement at the forecourt of the Tamale Central prison on Tuesday, Justice Aomiah indicated the urgent need to address overcrowding, noting that the prison currently holds 291 inmates against an authorised capacity of 78.
She revealed that the remand cell, designed for 16 to 20 inmates, was now accommodating 101, a situation she described as “deeply concerning.”
Her Ladyship explained that the exercise was guided by motions filed by Legal Aid on behalf of inmates, with judges specially mandated to sit within the prison to hear bail applications. Out of 49 applications received, she noted that not all qualified, particularly those with ongoing trials.
Justice Aomiah commended the Public Defenders Unit, the Attorney General’s Department, and Legal Aid for their dedication to the Justice for All Programme, which has been running since 2007.
She emphasised that the Judiciary has introduced nationwide training to ensure judges strictly apply Section 96 of the Criminal Procedure Act and Supreme Court directives when considering bail applications.
The sitting, which ran from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, brought relief to several inmates. In total, 34 remand prisoners from Tamale and three from Navrongo benefited. Two were discharged unconditionally, four convicted, 21 granted bail, four refused bail, three cases struck out, and three inmates referred for psychiatric treatment.
Justice Aomiah stressed that the initiative was not only about decongesting prisons but also about safeguarding human rights and ensuring justice was delivered in line with the law.
The Northern Regional Commander of Prisons, DDP Obed Kofi Acqyaye, expressed gratitude to the team for a peaceful and successful exercise, praising prison officers for their role in facilitating the programme.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD
