Magistrate court without magistrate

Nyinahin (Ash), Dec 7, GNA - Three hundred civil and 80 criminal cases have piled up at Nyinahin magistrate court due to the absence of a permanent presiding magistrate.

An investigation conducted by the Ghana News Agency revealed that the withdrawal of Mr Noble Nkrumah, the Nkawie circuit court judge who was undertaking additional responsibility as magistrate of the Nyinahin court, has created the pile up of cases.

The court that sat on every Friday to deal with both civil and criminal cases has failed to sit for the past four months.

The investigation further revealed that suspects who had been remanded by the court have remained in detention because there is no magistrate to endorse their bail bonds or to hear their cases. The Nyinahin Traditional Council, some concerned citizens from the area, police and lawyers have appealed to the Chief Justice to post a permanent magistrate to Nyinahin to solve the problem.