{
  "id": 14028384,
  "title": "Tamale, Bolgatanga had just one Legal Aid lawyer between them – Kwesimintsim MP",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/tamale-bolgatanga-had-just-one-legal-aid-lawyer-between-them",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T19:11:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/tamale-bolgatanga-had-just-one-legal-aid-lawyer-between-them-kwesimintsim-mp/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Philip Fiifi Buckman, the Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, has criticized the Legal Aid Commission's services in northern Ghana as \"pathetic,\" stating that only one lawyer serves both Tamale and Bolgatanga. The MP, who belongs to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, made these remarks at the launch of the 2026 Legal Aid Week in Accra, describing a recent oversight visit to the northern regions. He explained that the sole lawyer responsible for both cities was tasked with providing legal assistance to the entire populations of Tamale and Bolgatanga. Mr Buckman urged the government to allocate sufficient resources to the Legal Aid Commission, emphasizing that the government itself is responsible for addressing the issue. He called for decisive action to ensure the Commission has the necessary resources to carry out its duties. Similarly, the Commission's Board Chairman, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Kwame Asiedu Adibu, has appealed for urgent support to address staffing and office shortages. The Commission currently has 190 staff nationwide and operates 45 offices across Ghana's 261 districts, but its presence is limited to only 10 of the country's 16 regions. The Commission is short by approximately 180 staff, hindering its ability to reach people who require legal services. The Legal Aid Commission Act, 2018 (Act 977), mandates the Commission to provide legal assistance to indigent and vulnerable individuals. However, sections 24 and 25 of the Act call for the establishment of offices in every region and district, a requirement that the Commission's current resources fail to meet. The staffing and infrastructure gaps raise concerns about the ability of people in underserved communities to access legal advice and representation when interacting with courts, police, and other aspects of the justice system. The Commission has repeatedly emphasized the need for increased financial, infrastructural, and human resource support to expand its services, and Mr Buckman's comments further highlight the urgency of addressing the resource shortfall, as the scale of commitment could significantly impact the Commission's effectiveness in reaching underserved communities.",
  "summary": "The Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, Philip Fiifi Buckman, has described Legal Aid Commission services in northern Ghana as “pathetic”, saying Tamale and Bolgatanga had only one lawyer serving the Commission between them. Mr Buckman, a member of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, made the remarks at the launch of the 2026 Legal Aid Week in Accra, recounting a recent…",
  "key_points": [
    "Only one lawyer serves both Tamale and Bolgatanga, handling the entire populations' legal needs.",
    "MP Buckman urges government to allocate sufficient resources to Legal Aid Commission."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}