The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill, arguing that Ghana’s judicial challenges should be addressed by strengthening the country’s existing courts rather than introducing a separate tribunal system.
Speaking in a national address on Sunday, July 19, Bawumia acknowledged that the country’s justice delivery system faces significant obstacles, including prolonged case backlogs and delays that affect access to justice. However, he maintained that establishing public tribunals is not the appropriate response to those challenges.
According to him, the priority should be to improve the efficiency, capacity and accessibility of the current judicial system through reforms that enable the courts to handle cases more effectively.
Bawumia expressed concern that the proposed tribunal system could create a parallel avenue for administering justice instead of resolving the underlying problems affecting the courts.
He also cautioned against overlooking Ghana’s historical experience with public tribunals, noting that the country’s past has left many citizens with concerns about such institutions.
“Reflect on the historical antecedents of the public tribunals system. Under this bill, panels that include persons who are not lawyers may sit in judgment over criminal matters. Ghanaians remember tribunals, and we remember what was done in their names,” he said.
The former Vice President argued that criminal matters should continue to be handled within a strengthened judicial framework that guarantees due process and public confidence in the administration of justice.
His comments come after Parliament approved the Tribunals Bill, legislation intended to expand mechanisms for handling certain categories of cases amid concerns over congestion in Ghana’s courts.
Bawumia’s intervention adds to the ongoing national debate over the proposed law, with supporters viewing the tribunals as a means of easing pressure on the courts, while critics argue that judicial reforms should focus on improving existing institutions rather than creating alternative structures.
He appealed to President Mahama to carefully weigh the country’s legal history and the potential implications of the legislation before deciding whether to sign the bill into law.
