The Kaneshie District Court is made up of two divisions located in the Hospitality and Tourism Training building in Accra.
It is behind the Ghana School of Languages and shares the same vicinity with other state institutions such as the Ministry of Information, Greater Accra National Service Secretariat, Regional Coordinating Council, Workers’ College, Accra City Campus of the University of Ghana, Teachers Hall and Catholic Institution of Business, and Technology.
The court is locked between Adabraka, Asylum Down, Tudu and Ridge.
Although many people have wondered why it is called Kaneshie District Court and not Adabraka District Court, this magistrate, like other lower courts, plays a very important role in the country’s legal and adjudication system.
The magistrate court has original jurisdiction to conduct committal trials – offenses punishable by death such as murder and treason.
The court entertains matters in the threshold of GH¢2 million and rulings from Rent Control are referred to it.
Being one of the few magistrate courts within Accra, the Kaneshie District Court is highly patronised for the above reasons.
Challenges
The Kaneshie District Court has two court rooms on the second and third floors at the left side of the building.
Despite being disability unfriendly, it poses other grave challenges to officers of the court – staff, prosecutors, lawyers and court users, particularly in the event of nature’s call.
Nature’s call is an inevitable event of every living being’s daily affairs. However, in the case of humans where this private business is conducted really matters, as it can come about due to health and environmental issues.
In the case of the Kaneshie District Court, it has three restrooms serving its over 30 staff, in addition to magistrates, lawyers, prosecutors and the public.
In an interview with some of the court staff, who spoke to The Chronicle under the condition of anonymity, they said the magistrates had been allocated one of the toilets, the female staff one, while the males and the public also the other.
Probably, the male staff have to endure sharing their washroom with the public because of the assumptions that they stand and do not sit when conducting their business.
The magistrates’ washroom is on the first floor, therefore, it is likely they might clash during emergencies.
One of the staff told the paper that there was a time the court had both male and female magistrates using the same washroom.
A female magistrate who is pregnant and her court on the second floor, therefore, would have to descend and ascend anytime she has to use the washroom.
Court users are literally barred from using the washroom with the male staff, as most times the toilet door is under locked and key.
On days that the door would be left opened, the insanity conditions – the toilet bowl and floor are stained, as well as the pungent smell – are enough to deter one from using it.
A female staff also told the paper that she attempted using the washroom once, but had since had never tried it again.
According to her, she has mustered the art of taking in less liquids during the day or certain foods in order to avoid using the public restroom.
She fears to pick up diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, urinary tract infection, and vulva and vaginal infections.
This person may sound paranoia or germ-phobic, it has been proven that infectious diseases can be picked up by both sexes.
Although it is suggested that regular visitors of public restroom stand the risk of picking sexually transmitted diseases, that point has been violently demolished by some researchers that it could only happen if the recipients had sex in there.
The court staff said she was always experience urinary urgency whenever she reached home, because she had to avoid using the restroom for several hours while at work.
Experts say practices like holding urine for extremely long periods of time comes with a cost of developing urinary tract infections due to bacteria build-up, and increases the risk of kidney disease and bladder failure, a condition that can cause death.
Court users, on the other hand, are often directed to urinate beside a water tank at the rear of the building.
The space behind the water tank is free for all, and so male, female, old and young compete to use it.
A court user, who gave his name as Kwesi, said at times when behind the water tank get too busy, he often uses a path connection the Ghana School of Languages and the court area.
Indeed, using that path comes with lots of discomfort, due to the foul smell.
The Chronicle also witnessed an incident where a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of an accused. However, it later turned out that the accused was present, but had an emergency, for which he dashed out of the court premises in search of a place to respond to nature’s call.
