AG Reforms Ghana’s Jury System

Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Gloria Akuffo has hinted that plans are far advanced to amend the country’s jury system.

She made the disclosure at a forum with staff of the Attorney General’s department in Koforidua in the Eastern Region Tuesday February 27.

It comes on the back of years scathing criticism of the system by several Ghanaian legal luminaries. They have for decades called for its scrapping, describing it as anachronistic.

Speaking at the forum where she bemoaned of the sordid state of the regional offices of her Ministry, Akuffo said proposed amendments are being made to the composition of system to reflect modern legal standard to enhance delivery of impeccable justice in the country.

The jury system which originated from English Common Law was entrenched in the 1992 constitution of Ghana and it requires that all capital offences are tried by a judge and seven-member jury of which absent of a member of the jury either due to ill health or death can stall a case for a very long time

Under the law, members of the jury do not have to be highly educated, experts or professionals.

The law only requires jurors to understand the English language and have no criminal records. They are ordinary citizens whose senses of judgements are based on application of common sense instead of legal perspective making their verdicts mostly weak but not subjected to appellate review.

Source: Starrfmonline