Supreme Court Nominee Hafisata Amaleboba Blames Court Delays on Insufficient Judges, Complex Procedures, and Need for Timelines
Supreme Court Justice nominee Hafisata Amaleboba has attributed the persistent delays in court cases across Ghana primarily to the shortage of judges, cumbersome processes and procedures, and the absence of realistic timelines for case adjudication.
During her vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament in Accra on Wednesday, June 18 (as part of ongoing judicial confirmation hearings), Madam Amaleboba responded candidly to questions on judicial efficiency and backlog challenges.
“Lack of manpower or enough judges is to blame for delays in cases,” she stated. “The processes and procedures are a factor too. Also, the timelines may have to be looked at.”
She further explained that if mandatory timelines are to be introduced for resolving cases, lawmakers and judicial administrators must also consider the current caseload per judge.
“If we have to indicate timelines for cases, then we have to also look at the number of cases handled by each judge,” she added, underscoring the need for a balanced and realistic approach to case management reforms.
On the issue of access to justice, particularly for vulnerable and indigent litigants, the nominee advocated for greater involvement of the private legal profession in pro bono services.
“The Ghana Bar Association should encourage every lawyer to do some pro-bono work,” she recommended, suggesting that structured pro bono obligations or incentives could help expand legal aid coverage and reduce the burden on the state-funded Legal Aid Commission.
Madam Amaleboba’s submissions come at a time when Ghana’s judiciary continues to grapple with a well-documented case backlog, long adjournments, and public complaints about slow justice delivery. The Chief Justice and Judicial Council have previously acknowledged the staffing shortages and procedural bottlenecks, with ongoing recruitment drives and automation initiatives aimed at addressing some of these challenges.
Her nomination is part of a broader effort to strengthen the Supreme Court bench amid increasing constitutional and appellate workload. The Appointments Committee is expected to continue vetting other nominees in the coming days, with recommendations forwarded to Parliament for approval.
The nominee’s emphasis on both human resource constraints and procedural reform has been welcomed by legal practitioners and judicial reform advocates as a pragmatic diagnosis of the judiciary’s operational difficulties. Further hearings and final approval remain pending.
