Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has called on Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to instruct judges handling illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey’, cases to deliver their rulings within a month of the cases being presented in court.
‘’I therefore respectfully call on you to direct all judges sitting on galamsey cases to conclude the cases, hearing of which has started, within one month from the commencement of the legal year on 10th October, 2024. Reasonably, it can be done’’.
The Attorney-General also believes that such a directive would help curb the ongoing destruction of water bodies and forest reserves caused by the activities of unregulated miners and unauthorized companies operating in protected areas.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana, held at the La Beach Hotel on Wednesday, October 2, Dame expressed concern over the slow pace of prosecuting galamsey cases.
He stressed that the delays are exacerbating the environmental damage to Ghana’s forests and water resources.
“One category of cases whose speed of resolution by our courts, I often lament is the trial of illegal mining cases. It is beyond argument that the form of illegal mining known as “galamsey” continues to wreak incalculable damage to our forest reserves and river bodies.
A major setback to the struggle against galamsey is the rate of adjudication and punishment of offenders.
