By: KALD | Voltaonlinegh.com |

The Chief Justice of the Republic, Justice Sophia Akuffo has led a delegation of foreign envoys on a day’s working visit to the Ho Central Prisons on Friday to assess the progress of the Justice for All Programme, (JFAP).

The delegation comprises directors of UN Organizations and some female foriegn envoys in the country including the US Ambassador, Stephanie Sanders Sullivan.

They were in the prison to monitor proceedings of two in-prison special court sessions, hearing cases involving some 26 remand persons under the JFAP.

Court of Appeal Judge and Chairman of JFAP, Justice Clemence Honyenuga together with Justice Eric Baah, the Supervising High Court Judge for the Volta region adjudicated the cases at the special courts.

There are currently a total of 501 inmates including 89 remand persons  in the Ho Central Prisons, which was designed for 150 inmates.

With support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and POS foundation, the Justice for All Programme   has since inception some 12 years helped reduce the Remand inmate population in the country’s prisons  from 4,285 in 2007 to 2,020 as at November 2019.

Background

The Justice For All Pragramme started in 2007 was aimed at alleviating prison overcrowding through setting up special courts sittings to adjudicate remand prisoner cases in prisons throughout the country.

It was initiated by the then Attorney-General’s Department/Minister for Justice, Hon. Jeo Ghartey in close collaboration with the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, Lawyers, as well as Civil Society groups.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com