Tribunals are not the solution to court congestion — Bawumia

Former Vice President and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2028 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has argued that Ghana should strengthen its existing courts instead of creating what he describes as a second justice system through the Tribunals Bill, 2026.

His comments come after Parliament on July 16 passed the Tribunals Bill, 2026, introduced by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine.

The legislation seeks to re-establish and operationalize a modernized public tribunal system to decongest the courts, eliminate chronic case backlogs and expedite justice delivery by activating dormant provisions under Articles 126 and 142 of the 1992 Constitution.

In a video message to the nation on Sunday, July 19, Dr. Bawumia maintained that while delays in the justice system must be addressed, reviving public tribunals is not the appropriate solution.

“Our courts are congested, yes, but the answer to congested courts is to strengthen the courts, more judges, more courtrooms, and digitized processes. It is not to build a second system of justice,” said the NPP flagbearer.

The former Vice President also expressed concern that the bill was passed before the publication of the Constitutional Review Committee’s report, which he said had recommended removing regional tribunals from the Constitution because their functions had long been absorbed by the High Court.

He further argued that the legislation was rushed through Parliament despite objections from the Minority and organised labour, urging President John Dramani Mahama to suspend the assent process and allow for broader stakeholder engagement.

“Justice belongs to no government and no party; it belongs to the Ghanaian people, and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus, not on head count,” he stressed.