🇬🇭GhanaWest Africa
Minority raises five red flags in Tribunals Bill 2026
via GhanaWeb7 min read
The Minority caucus in Parliament walked out during the passage of the Tribunals Bill on Thursday, July 16, 2026, citing five key concerns. The bill aims to strengthen access to justice and improve its administration. The Minority, led by Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, argued that the bill creates an unconstitutional parallel justice system not recognized by the 1992 Constitution. They also objected to Clause 4, which proposes a three-member panel with one lawyer and two non-lawyers to preside over criminal matters, stating such a body should not handle criminal cases. Furthermore, the Minority contended that the system could lead to individuals being pronounced guilty before trial, and that it could be used to target individuals, referencing Ghana's experience during the PNDC era where tribunals were allegedly used to seize assets. Finally, they argued the bill undermines fair criminal trials, citing Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine's past legal arguments on the necessity of evidence-based convictions.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Must ReadGhana's Parliament passed the Public Tribunals Bill, 2026 on July 16, 2026, establishing a legal framework for public tribunals. The legislation faced a walkout by the Minority in Parliament and strong opposition from the Trades Union Congress TUC. The Bill aims to regulate the establishment, jurisdiction, composition, and functioning of public tribunals in line with the 1992 Constitution. It also creates a Tribunal Oversight Committee to supervise tribunal administration and performance. According to Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Ghana's Attorney General, the tribunals are intended to strengthen the justice delivery system, reduce case backlogs, and provide faster adjudication for high-priority cases such as economic crimes, illegal mining, tax offenses, and corruption. The Bill proposes a two-tier system: Regional Tribunals with concurrent jurisdiction with the High Court over selected criminal matters, and District Tribunals sharing jurisdiction with Circuit Courts for specified criminal matters, excluding treason, capital offenses, and cases triable on indictment. Tribunal members, including legally qualified chairpersons and citizen panel members, will be appointed under defined procedures, and their decisions will be subject to appellate review.
Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has questioned the necessity of Ghana's 276 parliamentary seats, asking what benefits this large number of lawmakers brings to the country. Speaking at the Justice DF Annan Memorial Lecture on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Justice Atuguba stated that Ghana's legislature has expanded beyond what is needed for a country of its size. He highlighted that the number of seats has increased from around 100 to 276, and queried the purpose and true benefit to the people. Justice Atuguba also acknowledged the concerns of former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who previously cautioned against creating more parliamentary seats due to resource strain without clear governance advantages. Justice Atuguba's remarks contribute to ongoing discussions regarding the size of Ghana's legislature and the potential need for reforms to ensure efficiency and accountability in parliamentary representation.
A group named Concerned Citizens of Ghana has urged President John Dramani Mahama to intervene on behalf of Jonah Capital, a Ghanaian company operating in Nigeria. The group's convener, Samuel A. Clark, stated at a press conference in Accra that Jonah Capital is facing persistent harassment from some Nigerian authorities. Clark called on the President, the Chief of Staff, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to engage the Nigerian government to protect the company's investments and the welfare of Ghanaian workers. He noted that Jonah Capital had operated legally in Nigeria for years, and while challenges arose in 2025, interventions by the Nigerian government, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, helped restore calm. However, new issues emerged about three weeks ago, with officials from Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Administration, accompanied by armed security personnel, allegedly entering River Park Estate in Abuja, a flagship investment of Jonah Capital. This action reportedly led to property destruction and intimidation of staff, residents, and customers. Clark highlighted that the matter is currently before an international arbitration panel and questioned the use of force given the ongoing judicial and arbitral considerations. He also mentioned that Nigeria’s Attorney-General had previously found no basis for prosecuting forgery allegations against Jonah Capital officials, leading to the withdrawal of a criminal case by a High Court in Abuja in January. Despite t