The acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has issued a directive requiring all newly filed cases and applications in the superior courts to be submitted directly to his office for assignment and scheduling.
The directive, dated April 23, 2025, was communicated through the Deputy Judicial Secretary to Registrars of the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.
It mandates that every fresh filing—whether a substantive case or a procedural application—must be presented to the Acting Chief Justice for court assignment and, where necessary, the empanelling of judges, especially in cases spanning multiple jurisdictions.
In addition to assigning cases, the Chief Justice’s office will now centrally manage the scheduling of hearing dates across the superior courts, a move aimed at streamlining judicial operations and ensuring consistency in scheduling.
“This directive overrides all previous instructions or practices relating to court assignments and the fixing of hearing dates,” the official memo stated, adding that the directive is to remain in effect until further notice.
Court registrars across the country have been directed to strictly comply with the new policy, which marks a notable shift in the internal administrative framework of Ghana’s judicial system.
Legal practitioners and stakeholders are expected to adapt swiftly to the changes, which are likely to impact case management, scheduling timelines, and inter-court coordination at the highest levels of the judiciary.
