Michael Ellis and Godfred Yeboah Dame
Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has given a hint of his intention to sponsor a bill to abolish one of the bulwarks of the country’s legal system, the jury trial.
According to him, scrapping the system of trial by jury is a top priority for most Ghanaians, who have expressed discontent about centuries-old system right to be tried by one’s peers, while yearning to adopt the French system of justice by a judge and a couple of court-appointed experts.
At a meeting with the newly appointed Attorney General of the United Kingdom, Michael Ellis on September 8, 2022, at his office in the House of Commons, Mr. Dame also informed his host of his intentions to strengthen legal aid as a vehicle for boosting access to justice.
He consequently requested for collaboration with his counterpart in this regard, while expressing his appreciation for being the first guest of the Attorney General of England and Wales on his first full day at work.
He underscored the need for closer cooperation between his office and the office of the AG in the UK, pointing out that the “two outfits perform similar and important roles in the administration of justice in their jurisdictions with similar legal systems.”
The UK AG also expressed his willingness to assist his counterpart in any way possible, noting that a strong justice system is fundamental to every facet of the life of every nation.
He acknowledged Ghana’s leadership in the rule of law on the African continent and the strength of its justice system.
Michael Ellis expressed appreciation for the position taken by President Akufo-Addo in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
For him, this is exemplary and underscored the status of Ghana as a strong voice on global issues.
Mr. Ellis again recognised efforts by Ghana to reform its criminal jurisprudence through the introduction of plea bargaining, pursuant to the efforts of Mr. Dame, hoping that it would be implemented efficiently so as to achieve the desired results.
The discussions centred on a number of issues, including economic crime, criminal justice reform to achieve speedy and efficient delivery of justice, application of the death penalty, and the roles of their offices in the drafting of legislation in their respective countries.
Present at the meeting were the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson and her Ghanaian counterpart, Paapa Owusu-Ankomah.
Mr. Dame was a guest of Cambridge University’s 39th Annual Symposium on Economic Crime held on September 5, 2022.
The meeting with Mr. Dame happened to be the first official meeting with any guest for the Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC, who had been appointed as Attorney General by the new Prime Minister only a day before.
By Ernest Kofi Adu