Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Designate Dominic Ayine has stated that the NDC government will enact a comprehensive Public Tribunals Act to regulate the affairs of tribunals.
During his vetting, Dominic Ayine emphasized his commitment to strengthening judicial accountability and protecting human rights within Ghana’s legal framework. He stressed the need for a comprehensive legislative framework to ensure public tribunals operate fairly and align with constitutional principles.
He reflected on historical governance practices, pointing out that under PNDC Law One, there was no dedicated chapter on human rights, despite it being the fundamental law at the time. However, he noted that Ghana has since transitioned to the 1992 Constitution, which clearly states that sovereign power rests with the people of Ghana. The Constitution mandates that all governmental powers, including those exercised by the judiciary, must be for the welfare of the citizenry and guided by the human rights provisions in Chapter 5 and the principles of state policy in Chapter 6.
He stressed that public tribunals are part of the judiciary under the 1992 Constitution and must therefore be held to the same human rights standards as other judicial bodies. As part of his proposed reforms, Ayine announced plans to re-establish regional tribunals with criminal jurisdiction, working alongside the High Court. He also proposed the establishment of circuit tribunals in all regions and district tribunals to ensure the delivery of justice at the local level.
To prevent human rights violations and ensure proper regulation, he stressed the need for a Public Tribunals Act that would clearly define the operations of these judicial bodies and enforce safeguards against abuses. He expressed his commitment to ensuring that no human rights violations, such as those highlighted in the Africa Watch Human Rights Report, would occur under his leadership as Attorney-General.
