President Akufo-Addo and his government through the Ministry of Finance, have supported the Legal Aid Fund and the Law Reform Fund with a contribution of GH¢2.2 million, aimed at promoting the rule of law in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the Law Reform Commission Fund and the Legal Aid Commission Fund on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at the Law Court Complex in Accra, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Law Reform Commission, designated as a subvented agency under the Ministry of Justice, advocated for the establishment of the Law Reform Fund.
The Fund, according to the President, should have been in operation some ten (10) years ago, but this has not been the case.
According to President, the Law Reform Commission, for example, had only one vehicle, which it acquired in 1996, but through the intervention of the Attorney-General, in February this year, the Commission was supplied with two new vehicles, bringing its current fleet to three.
“Being fully aware of the significance of reform and development of the laws of any country, not only will I launch this crucial Fund, but I will also throw my full weight behind all activities which will result in the mobilisation of additional resources for the work of the Law Reform Commission,” he said.
Touching on the Legal Aid Scheme, which is obligated by the Constitution and the Legal Aid Commission Act, 2018 (Act 977), to offer legal aid through the provision of legal services to the poor and vulnerable through legal education, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Commission operates in 11 regional capitals and 46 districts nationwide to administer the services of the Commission.
The President stated that, in spite of its staff strength handicap, the Commission, for example, in the first half of 2022, received a total number of 7,558 court cases, and resolved 3,163 of them. Out of the 4,414 ADR cases received, 2,233 were resolved.
With the main source of funds of the Commission being government funds allocated to it by the Ministry of Finance, he bemoaned that fact that these funds are inadequate.
“The current office accommodating the Commission has, in fact, become too small, and literally unfit for the attainment of the objects of the Office. The Greater Accra Regional Office and the Head office, for instance, are crammed together on the ground floor of the Council for Law Reporting building. Until this year, the Legal Aid Commission had only six vehicles, the last of which it acquired in 2007,” the President said.
He continued: “It is refreshing, again, to hear that, through the intervention of the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, 13 vehicles have been recently delivered to the Legal Aid office, increasing its number of vehicles from six to 19. I have noted the critical needs of the Commission. The depressing and deplorable conditions within the Commission clearly point to some essential needs that have to be addressed to help the Commission perform its mandate, and they will be addressed.”
Describing the proper functioning of the law as a vital tool for development for any country, President Akufo-Addo assured that even though the challenges facing the country are many, the promotion of the rule of law is of the utmost importance, and cannot take a back seat, no matter the circumstances.
“It is necessary for Government to lend its support to institutions whose objects promote the cause of the people, institutions such as the Law Reform Commission and the Legal Aid Commission,” he stated.
The President was hopeful that the launch of these Funds will usher in a new, progressive chapter in the lives of the two Commissions, and urged all Ghanaians to contribute generously to the Funds. He assured the Attorney General that the Minister for Finance, through Parliament, will provide more adequate resources for the sustenance of these Funds.
