Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has questioned calls for ongoing court cases to be delayed during the legal vacation, arguing that such a move could undermine the right to a speedy trial.

Speaking on the court sittings during the legal vacation in a video sighted by GhanaWeb on August 16, 2026, he said suspending cases for the period could result in some proceedings being delayed for as long as four months.

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He explained that the current legal vacation runs from August 1 to September 30, while judges who sit during the period are entitled to take their own vacation afterwards.

According to him, this arrangement means that stopping cases during the legal vacation could create an extended delay in the hearing of cases.

“The legal vacation is not a compulsory vacation for the Bar. It is not and cannot be,” he said.

Pratt noted that courts have historically sat during the legal vacation and described the practice as normal.

He explained that the Chief Justice can designate certain judges as vacation judges to continue hearing cases during the period, particularly matters considered important or those involving the rights of accused persons.

He therefore questioned the rationale for calls to suspend proceedings.

“The power to decide when a court should sit or not sit is a prerogative of the bench, not the Bar,” he said.

Pratt also raised concerns about the implications of delaying criminal trials, particularly for accused persons who may be in custody.

He said accused persons generally have a right to a speedy trial and questioned why lawyers representing some accused persons would advocate delays in proceedings.

“This is one of the very few cases where I'm hearing accused persons say that, look, I want you to delay my case. What advantage would the accused persons get?” he asked.

He argued that delaying cases could have serious consequences for accused persons who are unable to secure bail.

"…Just imagine that these lawyers have clients whose rights are clearly being abused. And they say, look, I want to go on vacation. I want to rest.

"I want to go to the island and take a boat and swing and so on. So wait for four months. Is that a responsible behaviour?" he quizzed.

Pratt further questioned whether lawyers would still insist on delays if their clients' rights were being abused or their lives were at risk.

He said the argument for speedy trials should remain important because delays can be costly and inconvenient for accused persons.

The veteran journalist therefore questioned why proceedings should be unnecessarily delayed when the evidence could ultimately establish whether an accused person is guilty or innocent.

JKB/VPO

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