His Lordship Justice Anin Yeboah, Chief Justice, has officially opened a District Court at Kwadaso to focus on children and gender-related violence issues.
The court build, funded by the government through the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly, is in fulfilment of the mandate of judges and the Judicial Service of Ghana to make justice accessible to the citizenry.
The CJ noted that building a strong justice system was not by accident, as Ghana had worked to assume the second position as the peaceful index in Africa, and urged the public and the Bar to fully patronise the court, which is connected to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system, for which mediators had been trained nationwide.
According to the Chief Justice, the ADR had proven to be cheaper and less costly as compared to the usual court, as there was no winner or loser. He indicated that, the ADR would further improve and turn around cases that come to the court, while reducing the backlog of cases.
He emphasised that the Kwadaso District Court would be a child-friendly gender-based violence court, which would eventually be retooled to effectively serve the purpose of protecting the vulnerable, who are mainly women and children, in response to United Nations (UN) reports that violence against girls was widely spread and culturally entrenched.
He said violence against women consisted of any act of gender-based violence that resulted in physical, sexually and psychological harm to women.
He said the court would ensure the provision and coordination of services for all women and children who were victims or survivors of such violence.
The CJ reiterated that, the court was there to serve everyone, and urged the public to have confidence in the court process, adding that, “as citizens we have the collective responsibility to ensure that democracy thrive in the country.”
Mr. Richmond Agyenim Boateng, Kwadaso Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the project was funded by the government, through the Municipal Assembly, under the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to complement the government’s commitment to ensuring the rule of law and justice, through a vibrant justice system.
The MCE urged the public to use the court to resolve all disputes for justice and fairness.
