The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has urged the police to expedite investigations into the cases of the remanded 54 Democracy Hub protestors by the next court date on October 8.
He again asked the police to exclude all those against whom sufficient evidence cannot not be found to proceed with prosecution.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who made the call at the Annual Conference of Magistrates and Judges (AMJ), in Accra yesterday, however, noted that the court dealt with the protesters in accordance with law.
He said that although he was not against protests, those who exercise their democratic rights of protest must do so within the law.
He further noted that, “As a renowned demonstrator myself (one of the founders of the Alliance for Accountable Governance who in 2009/2010, embarked on many peaceful protests in Accra), I stand fully for the realisation of the right to freedom of expression.”
However, Mr Dame mentioned that right is always an exercised subject to the injunction contained in article 12(2) of the Constitution, taking into account the public interest and respect for the rights and freedoms of others.
He stated that the peace and territorial integrity of Ghana at this time, almost two months before the December 7 general election was far greater than the pursuit of any parochial political goals, just as the right to free expression is no more paramount than the right of others to access essential services and the duty of the police to maintain the peace of Ghana.
“As I always say, freedom is not free. It is accompanied by serious responsibilities. It is up to the entire nation, particularly the Judiciary to ensure that the gains and triumphs of the past remain intact for generations of Ghanaians unborn,” Mr Dame noted.
He indicated that, “the rule of law is fragile. The rule of law is based on people, and democracy is based on people. Thus, when a small proportion of the same people imperil the democracy we live, the institutions of justice must respond according to law.”
Mr Dame commended judges for delivering equitable justice, but expressed concerned at the slow pace at which justice grind in the adjudication of illegal mining cases.
“A major setback to the struggle against galamsey is the rate of adjudication and punishment of offenders. The deterrence to galamsey sought to be achieved by the amendment to the Minerals and Mining Act in 2019, by requiring a punishment of a minimum of 15 years plus a heavy fine in the case of a Ghanaian, and a minimum of 20 years plus a hefty fine for a non-Ghanaian, is not aided by the tardiness of our courts in completing galamsey cases,” he underlined.
He said convictions were often secured, but they came in trickles.
Currently, Mr Dame revealed that there were more than 140 illegal mining cases, involving more than 850 accused, were pending in courts in the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Upper East Regions of Ghana, and that some have been pending since 2020.
“This situation cannot be right. We are in urgent national crisis and all citizens and institutions with any form of role to play must be called to action,” Mr Dame appealed.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
