The Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo has expressed disappointment about the deplorable state of the Bimbilla District Court in the Nanumba North District in the Northern Region.
The building which houses the court officials has been described as a colonial relic which does not befit the status of a court.
[contextly_sidebar id=”a9pYy3oWV9qV3dtAb2RsOKB0ZGDTtPZh”]The Chief Justice expressed her disappointment when she visited the area as part of her tour of district courts nationwide.
The Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo will be heading to the Volta Region to continue her tour.
The Bimbilla district court was the only court she visited in the Northern Region.
The Judicial Service Secretary, Cynthia Pamela Akotoaa in a Citi News said plans are being put in place to build a new court for the area within 12 months.
“We saw pictures before we came and the court is not fit for purpose. It is in a very bad state. But we understand that the chief has given us some land to build a new court. We have given him our prototype designs so we are hopeful that a new court will be built in the next 12 months.”
The Chief Justice had earlier warned that her office will be forced to close down dilapidated court structures.
Earlier in March, she closed down the Accra Central District Courts after the Assembly reportedly removed the doors and windows of the courthouse and chambers of the Magistrates without recourse to the Management of the Service.
The main Motor Court which, one of the first of its kind in the country, had its ceilings ripped off, the witness box was broken, and there were huge cracks in the building with rickety seats in the courtroom including the judge’s seat.
In January 2019, Sophia Akuffo rejected a refurbished magistrate court in the Wassa East District Assembly saying the structure was too open and below the requisite court standards.
She instead suggested that the structure is converted into a library or something else worthwhile.
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By: Mohammed Aminu Alabira | citinewsroom.com | Ghana