Supreme Court Judge nominee, Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, has cited a shortage of judges and complex court procedures as major contributors to delays in Ghana’s justice delivery system.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Justice Amaleboba emphasised the urgent need to expand judicial capacity to address the backlog of cases overwhelming the courts.
“We do not have enough manpower to be able to expedite the cases that we have,” she said.
Sharing her experience from the lower bench, she highlighted the pressure judges face.
“When I was working in the family and divorce court, at a point in time, we could have 300 or over cases, and this is just one court with just a judge who had to determine all these cases,” she recalled.
She noted that the situation is worsened by the continuous inflow of new cases.
“We should remember that as these cases are being determined, new ones are being filed on a daily basis. So, the first is the lack of manpower or enough judges to be able to expedite the cases.”
Justice Amaleboba also pointed to procedural inefficiencies, particularly the misuse of interlocutory applications, as another cause of delay.
“Another cause of delay in cases is the procedures and processes, especially in the interlocutory applications. So many repeated interlocutory applications can stall cases. Especially when there is an application before you give a ruling, and your decision is stayed at a higher court, it means that you have to stay your hand until the matter is determined,” she explained.
Her comments come amid growing public calls for structural reforms and improved efficiency across Ghana’s judicial system.
