The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has challenged claims that the proposed reintroduction of tribunals under the Tribunals Bill, 2026, will accelerate the administration of justice in Ghana, arguing that historical evidence points to the contrary.
Speaking in an interview, the legislator said the tribunal system has, in the past, been plagued by delays rather than efficiency, insisting that there is no empirical basis for suggesting that tribunals would dispose of cases faster than the existing courts.
According to him, the panel structure of tribunals is inherently susceptible to postponements because proceedings cannot continue if one member of the panel is unavailable.
“The history of tribunals does not support the argument that they lead to expeditious disposal of cases. Evidence from the past simply does not support that narrative,” he stated.
Mr. Awuah argued that the country’s priority should instead be to strengthen the existing judicial system through greater investment in court infrastructure and the deployment of technology to improve case management and tracking.
He maintained that digitising court processes, enhancing case-tracking systems and providing the judiciary with adequate logistical support would have a far greater impact on reducing delays than creating a parallel tribunal structure.
The Manhyia South lawmaker further contended that where specialised adjudication is required, the existing legal framework already empowers the Chief Justice to establish specialised courts without the need for a separate tribunal system.
“If there is a need for specialised courts, the Chief Justice can readily create them within the existing judicial structure,” he said.
Mr. Awuah also questioned the financial implications of the proposed tribunals, arguing that operating a separate tribunal system would impose additional costs on the state.
He said establishing and maintaining tribunals would require separate administrative and operational structures, making them significantly more expensive than strengthening the existing courts.
“It will cost almost twice as much to run tribunals compared to improving and expanding the current court system,” he argued.
His comments come as Parliament considers the Tribunals Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework governing the constitution, jurisdiction, administration and operations of tribunals in Ghana.
The Bill is intended to modernise the country’s tribunal system and enhance access to justice. However, it has generated mixed reactions, with proponents arguing that specialised tribunals will improve justice delivery, while critics insist that resources should instead be channelled into strengthening the existing courts to improve efficiency and reduce case backlogs.
By: Christian Kpesese
