The Kotobabi District Court in the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region was inaugurated by Chief Justice Torkornoo, who made this statement.
The court was a part of the government’s 2020 100 Courthouses initiative, which aimed to upgrade the judicial system.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, along with the District Assemblies Common Fund, provided funding for the court’s creation.
The modern court facility has offices for court functions, washrooms for staff and court users, male and female cells, solar power, a standby generator and a borehole to provide sustainable water.
The building is intended to serve Kotobabi and the surrounding communities. It features a specific area designated for Court Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
The Chief Justice also took advantage of the event to launch a campaign to raise community awareness by educating people about the roles and procedures of the various courts.
Her community sensitisation programme is dubbed: “Improving Justice Delivery Through Community Engagement.”
Chief Justice Torkornoo stated that if the administrative team did not help the magistrate in their role, the newly built District Court would not be very useful.
“To this end, I will urge staff who would be working in this court to exhibit a high level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties.”
“I would like to remind staff that most clients who patronize our services are often physically and emotionally stressed. They need assistance with technicalities as they turn to the courts for justice.”
She asked employees to make sure the court, which was their first point of contact, presented a more modern and approachable image of justice in the community.
The Chief Justice noted that the challenge for appropriate infrastructure was acute at the district level, adding “we know that lack of access to justice can lead directly to loss of confidence in the tools of justice. Because of this, we must address any challenges to access to justice if we are to provide the necessary guarantees of peace, security, and investor confidence that the country needs,” she said.
