A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dr Ernest Owusu-Dapaa, has praised Ghana’s judiciary for the strides it has made in modernising the country’s justice system through the use of digital technology, describing the reforms as a major step towards improving access to justice.
According to him, the Judicial Service’s continued investment in digital infrastructure has transformed the way courts operate by making proceedings more efficient, reducing delays and enabling greater participation regardless of a person’s location.
Reflecting on the evolution of the country’s judicial system, he said the adoption of electronic justice platforms has helped ensure that access to the courts is no longer limited by geographical barriers.
He explained that the judiciary’s long-term objective is to extend digital and electronic justice infrastructure to courts across the country, allowing more people to access legal services without facing unnecessary travel or logistical difficulties.
“The goal is to try and deploy digitisation, e-justice infrastructure to all courts in Ghana and a lot of progress has been made,” he said.
Justice Owusu-Dapaa also dismissed concerns that the absence of digital systems in some lower courts could negatively affect appeals.
According to him, the most important requirement for an appeal is the proper preparation and compilation of court records, regardless of whether the originating court is fully digitised.
“Now, with respect to a court not having digitisation affecting appeals which emanate from that particular court, I do not think so, because at the end of the day, you have to compile the records properly,” he explained.
He described the judiciary’s embrace of technology as a significant milestone in efforts to improve justice delivery, noting that every investment in digital systems contributes to a more responsive and efficient court system.
Justice Owusu-Dapaa further stressed that access to justice should never depend on where a person lives, adding that every Ghanaian deserves equal opportunity to seek legal redress without unnecessary obstacles.
