The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has taken a significant step toward reforming Ghana’s justice system by laying the Tribunal Bill 2026 before Parliament. The new bill aims to reintroduce public tribunals, with the goal of strengthening the administration of justice and expanding access to courts across the country.
If passed, the Tribunal Bill 2026 will establish a reformed tribunal system to operate alongside the existing traditional courts. The proposed system will have clear constitutional backing, comprehensive oversight structures, and robust safeguards to ensure due process and the protection of human rights.
The legislation seeks to bring into effect provisions under Article 126 of the Constitution, which provides for the establishment of tribunals within Ghana’s judicial system—a provision that has largely gone dormant in recent years. Dr. Ayine explained that the reforms are designed to address current gaps in the legal framework, reduce the backlog of cases in the courts, and expand access to justice. Importantly, the new system will also allow for greater citizen participation in the adjudication process.
Under the proposed law, a two-tier tribunal structure will be established, comprising Regional and District Tribunals. These tribunals will become part of the judiciary under the supervision of the Judicial Council and a newly established Tribunal Oversight Committee.
Regional Tribunals, according to the bill, will have concurrent original jurisdiction with the High Court over selected criminal matters. These include cases involving economic crimes, narcotics offences, tax-related offences, customs violations, and offences concerning the loss of state funds or property. District Tribunals, on the other hand, will share concurrent jurisdiction with Circuit Courts over specific criminal matters, but will exclude offences such as treason, capital offences, and cases triable on indictment.
Certain cases are specifically excluded from the tribunal system, including those involving constitutional interpretation under Article 130, human rights violations, and any matters expressly excluded by law. The bill also sets out guiding principles for tribunal operations, emphasizing fairness, transparency, efficiency, independence, and respect for fundamental human rights. Decisions from the tribunals will be subject to appellate review.
The proposal outlines detailed governance arrangements, covering the appointment, discipline, retirement, and removal of tribunal members, as well as instituting a code of conduct to guide their work.
Dr. Ayine emphasized that these reforms are intended to address longstanding concerns about public tribunals by anchoring the new system in constitutional safeguards and the principles of due process.
The Tribunal Bill 2026 has had its first reading in Parliament and has been referred to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs and Judiciary Committees for further consideration. Just last week, the Attorney-General met with the joint committee to deliberate on the key proposals, marking a crucial step in the journey toward tribunal reform.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com