Court Timelines: 3 months for criminal, 6 for civil cases – Justice Dzamefe proposes

Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe has proposed a series of sweeping reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of Ghana’s judicial system, including the introduction of fixed timelines for completing court cases.

Justice Dzamefe’s proposals come amid growing public frustration over the slow pace of court proceedings, with some cases dragging on for several years.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, June 16, for his vetting, Justice Dzamefe emphasized the urgent need to address delays in the adjudication of cases, particularly criminal matters.

“I also think we must set timelines for cases — so let’s say, criminal cases three months, and civil for six months. There should be time limits; no criminal case should go beyond 3 months, no civil case should go beyond a certain period of time,” he suggested.

He stressed that implementing fixed durations for case resolution would help restore public confidence and ensure timely justice delivery.

He further called for investment in both infrastructure and human capital within the judiciary, noting that no reform could be successful without prioritizing the welfare and capacity of judicial staff.

“Anybody who wants to maximise productivity must first think of the human resource, because it’s a mistake a lot of people make. First, think of people who will give you the product,” he advocated.

Addressing infrastructural needs, Justice Dzamefe advocated for the establishment of more courts to reduce caseload pressure on existing facilities.

“We need more courts so that the job will be spread thin, and it will go faster,” he noted.

He also highlighted the critical role of technology in modernizing court operations. He called for the adoption of artificial intelligence, voice recording, transcription tools, and virtual courtrooms to replace outdated manual systems.

“We must go with technology. The time of long handwriting is long gone past,” he asserted. “By the end of the day, once the court is done sitting, the records are ready. We also need to go virtual, so people can testify online. We must be abreast with time, otherwise we will be left out,” he said.