State Attorneys’s strike affecting justice delivery – GBA
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) says the strike action embarked on by State Attorneys was affecting justice delivery in the country.
According to the GBA, the strike had not affected rights of remand prisoners but accused persons who are on trial.
It has, therefore, appealed to members of the Association of State Attorneys to return to work to afford the incoming government the opportunity to acquaint itself with their grievances and concerns over their condition of service and employment.
State Attorneys had been on strike for over the past two months over condition of service.
In a statement signed by its National President, Mr Benson Nutsukpui, and National Secretary, Justine Amenuvor in Accra, the GBA noted that the issues leading to the strike had been long standing.
The GBA said it was important for the incoming administration to expeditiously deal with matters of the striking attorneys especially in the areas of condition of service and terms of employment.
The GBA recalled that the year 2016 had been challenging but ended up in a positive note with Ghanaians demonstrating to Africa and the rest of the world their democratic credentials, love for peace and resolve to govern by the rule of law.
On the environment, the association expressed regret about the indiscriminate and rampant pollution of water bodies by small scale miners also known as galamsey.
“The GBA notes with concern the pathetic response of state institutions to deal with illegal foreigners and their accomplices in small scale mining,” it said.
The association stressed the need for institutions to crack the whip so that dangers associated with severe water crises as result of water pollution would be curbed.
On the international front, the GBA condemned the action of President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia who had purportedly annulled the election results in his country and had declined to hand over power to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow, at the expiration of his constitutional term.
It, therefore, appealed to lawyers and judges in Gambia not to be part of any charade or judicial chicanery aimed at perpetuating the stay of the defeated candidate against the freely expressed wishes of the people of Gambia.
The GBA said it was resolved and committed to working towards entrenching democracy, support for the rule of law and open government in African countries in the spirit of transparency and accountability.
It further appealed to its members to be committed to the principles of professional integrity, ethical conduct enshrined in the Anti-corruption Compact Agreement aimed at fighting corruption and protecting judicial integrity.
Source: GNA