Broaden jury pool to speed up trials– Justice Ackaah-Boafo
Supreme Court nominee Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo has called for an expanded and more inclusive jury system to strengthen Ghana’s criminal justice process.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, June 20, 2025, Justice Ackaah-Boafo described the jury system as a vital mechanism rooted in the principle of being judged by one’s peers.
However, he said the current model which relies heavily on public servants was too limited in scope and needed reform.
“Recently there was a provision with regard to juries. Let me say that our jury system is a good system. The idea is that your peers listen to your case and rule on it,” he said.
He proposed that jury eligibility be extended to include all Ghanaian citizens aged 21 and above, regardless of profession.
This, he suggested, could be implemented through a nomination system anchored at the district assembly level.
“Rather than limiting it to public servants, can we have a system where every Ghanaian above 21 years can be nominated to serve as a juror at the district assembly? When the pool is enlarged, you’ll have many people willing to serve, and it’s one way of enriching the system,” he explained,” he said.
Justice Ackaah-Boafo further argued that a more diverse jury base could help ease the backlog of criminal cases by making it easier to hold day-to-day trials and reduce long delays.
“We must have a system where criminal matters are something we can complete timeously. We shouldn’t be trying cases from 2022 in 2025,” he said, adding that day-to-day trials could become more feasible with a larger, more accessible jury pool.”
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