Advertisement
Desktop970x250
3News
Advertisement
Desktop970x250

Move police prosecutors to rural areas – Criminal defence lawyer

By Steven Effah
SHARE
2 min read
Move police prosecutors to rural areas – Criminal defence lawyer

Police prosecutors
A criminal defense lawyer, Martin Kpebu, is advocating the fading out of police prosecutors in the cities to rural communities. He explained that there cannot be development in the judicial system when persons who are not lawyers serve as prosecutors in court. Across the country’s courts, police officers who have not been trained as lawyers are at the forefront of criminal prosecutions especially in the lower courts. Speaking on the topic ‘the challenges of the criminal defense lawyer to all indigent defendants’ Mr. Kpebu observed criminal procedures have not seen any improvement because nonprofessionals are engaged in justice delivery. Currently, a private legal aid body, Helplaw Ghana with support from the open society initiative of West Africa Osiwa, is advocating reforms in the criminal justice system with the purpose of decongesting the prisons. The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Professor Ken Attafuah, said criminals have been represented by some private lawyers on pro bono contrary to the assertion that criminal lawyers do not engage in cases for free. He said the Ghana Legal Aid Scheme is challenged leading to suspects spending so many years in prison without representation in court. A law lecturer at GIMPA Law School, Edmund Amarkwei Foli, suggested probation in the criminal system to decongest the prisons. Executive Director of Helplaw Ghana, Eric Alifo, said the country’s legal aid system is ineffective and has contributed to the failure in justice delivery. By Godfred Tanam|TV3|editors.3news.com|Ghana

Sign up to The Daily Briefing

Stay informed with the most relevant stories shaping Ghana and the world, every morning and evening.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Share This Article

Steven Effah is a writer with 3news.com. Follow him on X, @effah-steven and LinkedIn: Steven Effah

Advertisement
Desktop300x250

Up Next

Advertisement
Desktop970x250