By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, has commissioned a new Asesewa Court House, which will serve as a district court for the people of the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region.
The Chief Justice reiterated that the era when the country lacked a court to deliver justice has become a thing of the past.
Chapter 11 of the 1992 Constitution mandates the judicial service to exercise judicial power and administer justice in the court, while sections 12 and 13 of the Local Government Act 963 enjoin assemblies to ensure ready access to court in the district to promote justice delivery in the district.
The existence of a district court in Asesewa dates back to 1966 in Aworworso, where justice was first served in the district. The court was relocated in 1972 to the former local council building, where justice is administered to date.
The local government division, in order to deliver world-class decentralised and incline-oriented justice, coupled with the vision of the Chief Justice to decentralise the justice system in the country, decided to construct a new district court in Asesewa for the people of Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region.
Speaking during the commissioning of the new courthouse, the Chief Justice, Justice Anin-Yeboah, noted that an efficient and viable judiciary is one of the key requisites for a travelling democratic country, as experienced and witnessed in Ghana.
The Chief Justice mentioned that the new courthouse will help bring justice to the doorsteps of the people of Upper Manya Krobo.
The Konor for the Manya Krobo Traditional Area and the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Nene Sakite, expressed their gratitude to the Chief Justice for helping to put up a new and permanent courthouse for the people of Upper Manya Krobo.
He said the courthouse will help solve the legal issues of the people and advised the people to patronise the court and seek legal redress for issues and not to take the law into their own hands when they have issues.
The Upper Manya Krobo District Chief Executive, Joe Sam, delivering the speech on behalf of the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong, noted that in this modern and computerised world, it is not appropriate to administer justice at a place that also serves as market, and therefore the new court house has come in handy to solve that challenge.
He commended the Chief Justice for his vision to transform the justice system and also commended the administrator of the district assembly common fund for allocating funds for the construction of the new courthouse for the people of Upper Manya Krobo District.
