A fact many people do not know is that the conversation around parole in Ghana has been ongoing for some time. What is important to understand is that the idea of parole for convicted and sentenced prisoners is not foreign to Ghana’s criminal jurisprudence. The 1992 Constitution already makes room for it. Article 208 empowers … Continue reading Emerging Criminal Justice Reforms in Ghana: The Parole System
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The Legal Shift in the Role of Complainants and Victims in Ghanaian Criminal Proceedings
Ghana’s criminal process has traditionally been structured around a simple principle: criminal cases are prosecuted in the name of the Republic, not the individual victim. While victims, often referred to as complainants, are central to proving the facts of the case, their legal role has historically been limited. They report the offence, assist the police … Continue reading The Legal Shift in the Role of Complainants and Victims in Ghanaian Criminal Proceedings
Part 1: What Happens to a Criminal Case When the Accused Person Dies?
This article is Part 1 of a three-part short series examining the judicial processes that follow when an accused person dies in the course of a trial, and the principles that underpin them. What happens when an accused person dies in the middle of a trial? When an accused person dies while a criminal case … Continue reading Part 1: What Happens to a Criminal Case When the Accused Person Dies?
Criminal Appeals in Ghana: A Simple Explanation
Why Did the Court Reduce Nana Agradaa’s Sentence? When news broke that Patricia Asieduaa, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, had her sentence reduced on appeal, many people assumed something improper had happened. Others felt that perhaps the court had gone soft or bowed to public pressure. In the judgment itself, however, the judge made it … Continue reading Criminal Appeals in Ghana: A Simple Explanation
Let’s Unpack the Committal Process
Introduction The District Court, also known as the Magistrate Court, has three of the most interesting criminal jurisdictions within our court system. Among other things, it hears juvenile cases, determines extradition applications brought by the State, and, most critically for this discussion, decides whether persons charged with the gravest criminal offences should be committed to … Continue reading Let’s Unpack the Committal Process
Template for Petitions to the Attorney-General in Criminal Cases
Introduction: Filing a petition to the Attorney-General (AG) is a formal way for individuals or organizations involved in criminal matters to request legal action or intervention. Many readers may not know how to structure such a petition, what information to include, or how to present it professionally. To make this process easier, we have created … Continue reading Template for Petitions to the Attorney-General in Criminal Cases
Free e-book: Children and the Criminal Justice System in Ghana
Recent incidents of violence in some high schools across Ghana have renewed public concern about how young people come into contact with the law. These events highlight the urgent need for accessible education on juvenile justice and practical guidance for schools, parents and communities. Criminal Law Blog Ghana is therefore excited to announce the release … Continue reading Free e-book: Children and the Criminal Justice System in Ghana
Bail in Ghana: What Everyone Should Know Especially Sureties
Bail is one of those legal terms that gets used often, yet few people outside the courtroom truly understand what it means in Ghana. Many assume it simply involves paying money to the police or the court to secure the release of a loved one. In practice, however, our bail system operates quite differently. In this … Continue reading Bail in Ghana: What Everyone Should Know Especially Sureties
The Effect of Legislative Repeals in Criminal Justice
Introduction The purpose of this article is to educate readers on the effect of a repeal on pending criminal trials. I also consider the effect of a repeal on the prescribed sentence of a repealed criminal offence. The end of a criminal statute or an offence creating provision in a statute can be by way … Continue reading The Effect of Legislative Repeals in Criminal Justice
What happens after an arrest?
Common to all democratic states, every person is entitled to his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement. This right, just like any other human right, has limits. In article 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the right to liberty can be curtailed when a person is suspected to have committed a criminal … Continue reading What happens after an arrest?
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