I wouldn’t reintroduce all tribunals if I were the AG – Prof Kwame Gyan

Professor Kwame Gyan of the University of Ghana’s Law School has stated that if he were Dr Dominic Ayine, the incoming Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice, he would not reintroduce tribunals across the country.

During his appearance before Parliament’s vetting committee last week, Dr Ayine indicated that, under his tenure, the government would work towards reconstituting tribunals in the country.

However, Professor Gyan disagreed with this proposal, stating that there is no need for tribunals in Ghana, as existing courts are already capable of handling such matters. “If I were the Attorney General, I would not bring back the district, community, or circuit tribunals,” he said.

He further explained, “Given the history of the tribunals and the baggage they carried from their inception, I would not reintroduce the district and community tribunals. However, I would maintain the regional tribunals, as they are upheld by the constitution.”

He pointed out that in 2002, the then-NPP government amended the law to abolish community and district tribunals, but did not touch the regional tribunals. “This is why I would not support the reintroduction of the lower tribunals as suggested by the incoming AG,” he added.

Shamima Muslim, a communications member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also spoke on the matter, stating that the reintroduction of tribunals should not create fear or panic among Ghanaians.

She reassured the public that the NDC is not attempting to bring back a military regime akin to the PNDC era. “There is no justifiable reason to fear that the reactivation of an existing constitutional body will lead to the return of a military regime,” she said.

Ghana’s tribunal system was established under the PNDC leadership. These tribunals were specialised courts or quasi-judicial bodies designed to handle specific types of cases, often focusing on administrative matters, criminal cases, disputes, or issues outside the jurisdiction of ordinary courts.