Accra: The Judicial Service has expanded jury lists to include all citizens qualified by law, including individuals from the private sector. The reforms aim to address inefficiencies and strengthen the jury system to ensure fair and effective trials.
According to Ghana News Agency, Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, speaking at the opening of the 2025 Criminal Assizes Session in Accra, noted that the justice sector had become overly reliant on a limited pool of jurors, primarily composed of clerical staff in civil or public service, as well as some education officers. She observed that some jurors had been serving for years, and in certain cases, over a decade, transforming them into ‘professional’ jurors rather than the lay group with fresh perspectives that the system requires.
Chief Justice Torkornoo pointed out inefficiencies caused by inadequate revisions of lists under section 213 of Act 30, which resulted in jurors being assigned to multiple cases across different courts simultaneously. In response to these challenges, brainstorming and collaboration have led to proposed reforms aimed at enhancing the jury system’s efficiency and expanding the pool of jurors.
The Chief Justice also emphasized the importance of ensuring that no juror is assigned to multiple courts and stressed the necessity of conducting day-to-day trials to efficiently complete cases. She urged Presiding Judges and Registrars to adhere to the Practice Direction on Effective Case Completion Planning Strategies 2019 and the Practice Direction on Jury Trials implemented in May 2024.
Additionally, Chief Justice Torkornoo highlighted the mandatory disclosure requirements as per the Supreme Court’s decision in EUGENE BAFFOE-BONNIE v. THE REPUBLIC ([2017-2020] 1 SCGLR 327 @ 352). She underscored the need for timely disclosures to assist defendants in preparing their defense and to facilitate plea bargaining opportunities. She remarked that the prompt filing of full disclosures would inform accused persons or their lawyers about the opportunity to take advantage of plea bargaining.
Jurors, who are non-lawyers, are selected and sworn to hear evidence and decide the outcome of a trial or case in court.