The Judicial Service is set to introduce Small Claim Debt Recovery Courts aimed at expediting the recovery of debts owed by customers to financial institutions. This move is expected to alleviate the burden on the existing court system.
Chief Justice Mrs. Gertrude Torkornoo announced the initiative during a meeting with the Judicial Press Corps. She highlighted the pressing need for this new court system due to the overwhelming number of debt-related cases.
“Since the inception of the Court Shift System this year, 30,000 cases have been filed by Quick Credit Loans (now Bills), with projections indicating nearly 55,000 additional debt-related cases,” said Chief Justice Torkornoo.
To address this backlog, the new debt recovery courts will operate on Saturdays and afternoons, aiming to expedite the resolution of these cases. The establishment of these courts is intended to alleviate the strain on judges, particularly at the district court level, and to ensure timely justice delivery.
The Small Claim Debt Recovery Courts will initially be piloted in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.
In related developments, Noble Nutifafa, Director of IT at the Judicial Service, announced that court judgments are now accessible to the public online via the africanlii.org platform, enhancing transparency and accessibility.
Additionally, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nominated two new judges for the Supreme Court bench following approval by the Judicial Council. The nominees are Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong, a legal academic, and Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, currently a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
President Akufo-Addo noted that both nominees will undergo parliamentary vetting as required by the constitution. Professor Frimpong Oppong will join the bench alongside Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, and Justice Bernasko Essah will bring her extensive experience to the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice had previously recommended five judges to the President to address the Supreme Court’s workload, including Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, who is currently presiding over the Ato Forson ambulance procurement trial. The President’s latest nominations did not include these names, leading to speculation about the status of the Chief Justice’s recommendations.
If confirmed, the number of justices on the Supreme Court will increase to 17.