Supreme Court judge nominee, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, has identified the language barrier as a major obstacle in prosecuting foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals, engaged in illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, he advocated for judges serving in galamsey-prone areas to undergo training in the Chinese language.

“The judges must either be taken to China for further studies in the Chinese language, or they must be provided with resources to bring in experts to train them here. Because if someone has committed an offence and you can’t prosecute him, it’s as good as saying, ‘Oh, let him go free,’” he argued.

He explained that when illegal miners, especially Chinese nationals, are arrested and brought before the courts, they often present a communication challenge.

“When they are arrested and brought to court, the difficulty is that they don’t speak English. And even if they understand English, they refuse to speak it. Since the police and enforcement agencies also do not speak their language, it becomes extremely difficult to prosecute them,” he added.

Justice Mensah noted that literacy in the Chinese language among judges would significantly enhance justice delivery.

“Sometimes, even the interpreters are a problem. So, if the judge understands the language, it would be far more effective for justice to be served—and for us to better tackle the menace of galamsey,” he stated.

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JKB/MA

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