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Bawumia urges Commonwealth Courts to employ digital tools to improve justice delivery 

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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia Monday urged Commonwealth nations to embrace digital tools in judicial adjudication to boost access to justice by all citizens. 

He urged judicial systems within the Commonwealth to employ the right communication and technological tools to boost and fast-track justice delivery. 

“In fact, it will be criminally negligent to ignore the latent power we have and allow the situation to fester where our courts are clogged, citizens are frustrated, and justice remain out of reach of many,” he said. 

Vice-President Bawumia gave the advice at the opening of the 19th Triennial Conference of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association in Accra. 

The conference attracted 390 delegates from six regions of the Commonwealth, including chief justices, judges, magistrates, lawyers and judicial officers to exchange ideas and share experiences towards spurring change and innovation in justice administration within the Commonwealth. 

The six-day conference is on the theme: “Access to Justice in a Modern World”. 

The Vice-President said the Akufo-Addo-led Government was fully committed in ensuring the availability to all through the effective use of digital tools, noting that, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the digitalisation of Ghana’s courts was very much underway. 

“We have a virtual court system for our citizens, an electronic case management system and a Justice for All programme that leans heavily on digital technology to expedite the cases of prisoners held in remand beyond the constitutional limit,” Dr Bawumia said. 

With the advancement in technology, he said, one did not need to be physically present to perform a task but it it should be possible for a critical witness in a case, far away from the jurisdiction for valid reasons, to provide the testimony necessary for the case to proceed. 

“No society can be truly deemed ‘organised’ if it is not centred on the central foundation of justice,” he said. 

“The belief in every citizen that they have rights equal to every other citizen, that their lives, properties and happiness cannot be arbitrarily taken away by another, no matter how powerful, is the consideration for the consent of individuals to be governed.” 

In that sense, depriving even one citizen of justice was tantamount to “pulling another tile from the delicate domino pack, that is modern society.” 

“How, for example, can a critical witness who is away from the jurisdiction for very valid reasons, provide the testimony necessary for the case to proceed? How can victims of assault tell their story if the result of the assault is that they are permanently tethered to a bed in an infirmary? How will a lawyer appear in two courts hours apart if the time between sittings is only a mere few minutes?” 

“Therefore, I believe that just like all other benefits that accrue to a citizen by mere virtue of birth, state actors must expend every available energy to ensure that justice is available to all.” 

The Vice-President, therefore, assured that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and other allied agencies would continue to support the Judicial Service to improve access to justice in the country. 

Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, in an address read on his behalf, highlighted some challenges plaguing Ghana’s judicial system and said access to justice would be a key feature in any of the solutions proffered to any crisis in the country. 

He noted that society needed an impartial justice system to adjudicate all cases that may arise. 

Hence the e-Justice system being implemented by the Judicial Service was bridging the technological gaps in the justice delivery system and helping to reduce the cost of travelling to courts, missing files and backlog of cases. 

Justice Charles Mkandawire, President of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, read a message from Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Patron of the Association, to express her warmest felicitations to members

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Ghanaian fibre optics inventor, Dr Thomas Mensah passes on

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The Adisadel College Old Boys Association's official X account also announced Dr. Mensah's death.

Dr. Thomas Mensah, a renowned Ghanaian-American scientist and developer of fibre optics, died at the age of 74.

According to a statement published by the family on Thursday, March 28, the renowned innovator, who played a key role in revolutionising telecommunications and technology, died of sickness at Kumasi Catholic Hope Exchange Hospital.

“Dr. Thomas Mensah died on March 27, 2024, in Kumasi Catholic Hope Exchange Hospital. Dr. Mensah died from a brief illness.


“The family hereby informs the wider public of the unfortunate event. “Dr. Thomas Mensah died at the age of 74,” the announcement added.

The Adisadel College Old Boys Association’s official X account also announced Dr. Mensah’s death.

“He was known on the global stage for his significant contributions in the field of fibre optics and nanotechnology.”

Dr. Mensah’s ideas have had a significant influence on global communications networks, making substantial contributions to the field of technology.

His major innovation in fibre optics enabled high-speed data transport, revolutionising several sectors and contributing to the digital age’s success.

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Good news for teachers: 1 teacher, 1 laptop

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His remarks came after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) expressed reservations about the Ghana Smart School Project, which debuted on Monday, March 25, 2024. According to GNAT, since 2021, when the government launched a similar scheme for teachers dubbed as the "1 Teacher 1 Laptop" project, over 100,000 instructors in public schools have yet to receive theirs. However, Dr. Adutwum, a teacher himself, told teachers that his Ministry has their best interests at heart and will never fail them. He indicated categorically that the instructors will receive their computers by the end of June.

Teachers in public schools will receive the laptops promised by the government in 2021 by the end of June 2024.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, said this on Adom FM’s morning broadcast, Dwaso Nsem, on Tuesday.

“I can tell you that the instructors will receive their computers by the end of June, as promised. They’ve already met with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and are figuring out how to get their laptops,” he said.

His remarks came after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) expressed reservations about the Ghana Smart School Project, which debuted on Monday, March 25, 2024.

According to GNAT, since 2021, when the government launched a similar scheme for teachers dubbed the “1 Teacher 1 Laptop” project, over 100,000 instructors in public schools have yet to receive theirs.

However, Dr. Adutwum, a teacher himself, told teachers that his Ministry has their best interests at heart and will never fail them.

He indicated categorically that the instructors will receive their computers by the end of June.

Speaking about the Ghana Smart School Project, Dr. Adutwum emphasised its significance as a component of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, which aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in public second-cycle schools.

He stated that these tablets, packed with necessary textbooks and previous questions, will be great instructional aids, improving students’ access to information critical to their academic endeavours.

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Create your own ‘dumsor’ timetable – Energy minister to critics

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However, speaking to media at the launching of the NPP campaign team in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Opoku Prempeh urged detractors to create their own timeline if required. He questioned the point of defining a timeline since ECG said that there is no such strategy in place. "Ask those who desire it to bring it, if any. I have not seen any timeline. The ECG claims there is no timeline coming; why do you wish to bring one, and for what purpose? Why would someone wake up and want wicked and awful things for the country? You can't inform the individual when it's unplanned."

Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has challenged those lobbying for a load-shedding timeline from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to submit their own proposals.

His statements came amid the country’s current electricity issues, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, which affect both residents and companies.

Despite rising calls for a systematic load-shedding plan, ECG has maintained its opposition to creating one, citing the lack of a formal “dumsor” scenario and so judging a timetable unnecessary.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and numerous important personalities have repeatedly urged ECG to give a timeframe. They also urged the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to address the present power situation.

However, speaking to the media at the launching of the NPP campaign team in the Ashanti Region, Dr Opoku Prempeh urged detractors to create their own timeline if required.

He questioned the point of defining a timeline since ECG said that there is no such strategy in place.

“Ask those who desire it to bring it, if any. I have not seen any timeline. The ECG claims there is no timeline coming; why do you wish to bring one, and for what purpose? Why would someone wake up and want wicked and awful things for the country? You can’t inform the individual when it’s unplanned.”

Dr. Opoku Prempeh told the public that measures are underway to solve the difficulties facing the electricity industry.

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