Ghana gets second gender-based court

Ms Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana, has called for the efficient and expeditious adjudication of gender-based violence at the courts.

This would help reduce the trauma victims of such cases go through.

Civil society groups must also ensure that the usual problems of corruption and others that delay the administration of justice do not plague the gender-based violence courts the UNDP is supporting to establish in the country.

She said victims of gender-based violence such as rape, domestic violence, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, forced prostitution and others are so traumatized that undue delays in the adjudication of their cases further aggravate their conditions.

Ms Sandhu-Rojon made the call at the inauguration of a gender-based court in Ghana, in Kumasi, on Friday.

This is the second court to be inaugurated in the country after the first one in Accra.

The setting up of the court is an effort to speed up trial of gender-based violence cases in the country and forms part of the reforms in the judiciary to improve the administration of justice through the specialization of courts.

She stressed the need for the judicial service to continuously partner with stakeholders like the Domestic and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service, the Legal Aid Board, Ghana Bar Association and civil society organizations to ensure that sufferers of domestic violence are not denied justice.

The UN Diplomat commended Ghana for instituting various measures such as the passage of the Domestic Violence Act, establishment of DOVVSU, the abolition of some harmful traditional practices, among other things, to reduce violence against women in the country and confirmed UNDP’s support.

Justice Robin B. Batu, Supervising High Court Judge for Ashanti, said the facility is a circuit court with the jurisdiction to try civil and criminal cases.

He said the court will concentrate on offences created by the Domestic Violent Act, 2007 (Act 732), such as matrimonial, adoption, physical, emotional, economic or verbal abuses, which take place in previous or existing domestic relationship.

Mr Michael Owusu Gyau, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), advised the judge of the Court to be fair to all, including men, affirming GBA’s support.

Source: GNA