The Chief Justice, Justice KwasiAninYeboah, has directed the temporary closure of the Bawku District and Circuit Courts in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region, following the renewed ethnic conflict in the area.
“Due to the worsening security situation in Bawku, the Chief Justice has further directed that until the security situation improves, the above mentioned courts should not be opened for business.”
This was contained in a letter issued and signed by the Deputy Judiciary Secretary, Richard Apietu, on behalf of the Chief Justice and copied to the Supervising High Court Judge of Bolgatangaand other officials of the Judiciary.
The Supervising High Court Judge of Bolgatanga, Charles A Wilson, who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times here yesterday, explained that the decision of the Chief Justice was based on the complaints raised by his outfit about the security of the judges and judiciary staff in the area.
He explained that although the judges of the two courts could be given police security that could not be applied to the Judiciary staff since they are many.
Justice Wilson explained that the Judicial staff of the Bawku District and Circuit come from the two major ethnic groups engaged in the conflict and had to cross each other’s territories to work and back home.
He noted that to avert any calamity on their staff, his outfit had to relay information about the security situation in the area to the Chief Justice for the appropriate measures to be taken.
The Supervising High Court Judge, who appealed to the two ethnic groups to consider the development of the area and the welfare of women and children, stated history has it that no development thrives in conflict thorn countries.
