Lawyers can’t decide how cases run – Srem-Sai fires back in vacation court row
Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai has rejected claims that criminal trials should not be conducted during the legal vacation without the consent of lawyers involved in the cases.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has dismissed claims that criminal trials should be suspended during legal vacations without the consent of the involved lawyers. Speaking on Joy News' PM Express, Justice Srem-Sai stated that allowing lawyers to dictate trial schedules would undermine the judiciary's purpose. He clarified that vacation judges still receive vacations after serving during the break and can handle their own cases.
Additionally, a judge assigned to a vacation court can also manage urgent matters from other courts. Justice Srem-Sai emphasized that the Constitution demands swift trials and cited Article 19(1), which guarantees a fair and speedy trial without unnecessary delay. He refuted claims that superior courts do not hold trials during legal vacations, providing the Takoradi Girls case as evidence.
He also rejected the notion that lawyers need to agree before a case proceeds during a vacation, stating that lawyers often have differing interests in the trial's pace.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
