A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, has raised serious concerns about accused persons being held in prison for extended periods without trial due to expired warrants, describing the situation as unacceptable and calling for immediate corrective action by investigators and judges.

Speaking after a recent sitting held under the Justice for All Programme at the Kumasi Central Prisons, she stressed the need for the swift execution of court processes.

Justice Asare-Botwe revealed that all outstanding warrants were signed during the exercise but noted that several had expired, exposing deep procedural lapses.

“All the warrants have been signed. Some of the warrants had expired, while in one case the warrant had expired for almost two years and the person had not been sent to court at all,” she disclosed.

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She appealed to investigators and members of the judiciary to take responsibility for ensuring that accused persons are brought before the courts once cases are before them.

“Please, we will plead with our investigators and even our judges that when you have had a case before you and the accused person is not being brought, please take steps to make sure that the accused person is brought before the court,” she stated.

Providing details of the outcomes from the sitting, Justice Asare-Botwe said 15 bail applications were granted, while 12 were refused.

Four trial prisoners were discharged after their cases were reviewed, one inmate was referred for psychiatric treatment, and three cases were struck out. In addition, nine inmates were convicted during the sitting.

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She noted that the results clearly demonstrated the critical role of the Justice for All Programme in addressing prolonged pre-trial detention.

“We have witnessed the impact of the Justice for All Programme, and it has brought relief to many vulnerable inmates who, as a result of lack of legal representation or other factors, could have spent years in prison without trial,” she said.

The Justice for All Programme (JFAP) is a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department, the Judicial Service, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.

The programme seeks to bring justice to marginalised and unrepresented remand prisoners and has contributed significantly to reducing inmate populations across the country’s prisons.

JKB/MA

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