Cape Coast, Jan. 22, GNA - The Central Regional Supervising High Court judge, Justice Mrs Francesca Owusu Arhin, on Thursday asked jury not to abandon their civil duties and rather be serious with proceedings in courts. She said the courts would not accept excuses from a juror that he or she was not conversant with the criminal laws of the land. Justice Arhun gave the caution when she formally opened the 2009/ 2010 legal year criminal assizes at the Cape Coast High Court in Cape Coast. She appealed to all stakeholders such as witnesses, lawyers and investigators to contribute their quota to ensure speedy adjudication of cases in the region.

Justice Arhin noted that once chosen as a juror it was their obligation to regularly attend court sittings to help ensure that cases were expeditiously tried.

She indicated that juror absenteeism was one of the main challenges that hindered the speedy trial of cases in the country and added that it should be a matter of great concern to the judiciary. The Supervising High Court Judge urged prosecutors to ensure that dockets were well prepared and timely presented. Mrs Arhin applauded the Central Region branch of the Ghana Legal Aid for offering free legal services to a lot of people, who could not afford the services of a lawyer and further urged it to do more to facilitate the fair trial of cases.

The Presiding judge of the criminal assizes, Justice Alhaji Mohammed reiterated earlier calls to jury to be regular in court since it was an offence punishable by law to be absent without permission adding that this could attract a fine or a minimum imprisonment of 21-days. He, therefore, urged the courts to bring to book any juror, who fails to attend court sessions or was lackadaisical in the performance of his or her duties.

The Principal State Attorney, Mrs Hannah Taylor said of the 30 criminal cases to be adjudicated this year, 16 are fresh cases and promised to ensure that a greater percentage of the figure was fully tried by the end of the legal year. She stressed the need for all parties involved in the judicial process to play their roles dutifully to help combat crime. Mrs Taylor said prosecuting attorneys in their frustrations to ensure the quick trial of cases, were sometimes forced to personally give transport fares to witnesses to come to court. The President of the Central Regional Bar Association, Mr Peter Ababio also advised people, who cause chaos in society to stop the practice and warned that the law would deal with them when caught. The criminal assizes opened its first trial, which is a murder case involving one Charles Amoah, who has been charged with the murder of his son sometime in May 2004.