WHEN DUTY EMBRACES DEVOTION: A DISTINGUISHED VISIT BETWEEN GHANA’S JUSTICE POWER COUPLE

In a demonstration of inter-institutional collaboration within Ghana’s justice system, the Director General of Prisons, Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), paid a courtesy call on the Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, at the Supreme Court premises today Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

The visit, which took place at the Chief Justice’s chambers, was aimed at creating possible collaborations and discussing some operational gaps between the Ghana Prisons Service and the Judiciary, two critical pillars of the nation’s criminal justice system.

During the meeting, Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie briefed the Acting Chief Justice on the strategic reforms and forward-looking initiatives being implemented across prison facilities nationwide. The discussion also covered the concern for remand inmates spending more years in prison, the improvement of Electronic Case Management to monitor the status of cases of inmates. The need to have a Parole discussion board that will comprise the Judiciary, Police and Prison Services to make the system work efficiently.
She further raised the concern of pregnancy tests conducted on female inmates before they are sentenced to prison custody.

“The synergy between the Judiciary and the Prisons Service is essential for the effective administration of justice in our country, ” Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie remarked following the meeting. She appealed for a joint training to create an enabling platform where information can be shared, enquiries made among the institutions to understand how each other operates.
The second female Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service and visionary leader commended female judges for their support to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison every year and humbly requested for slots for Prisons legal officers at the Judicial Training Institute during Sentencing Programmes.

His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie commended the Director General for her leadership and commitment to prison reforms. He emphasized the importance of the two institutions to collaborate in the delivery of their duties.
The Acting Chief Justice also highlighted the need for the formation of a Prisons Service Council in every district, where an official of the Judicial Service is a member who would visit the prisons regularly for various concerns of inmates.

The courtesy call reflects the commitment of Ghana’s justice sector leadership to fostering institutional cooperation and improving service delivery to the Ghanaian people. Such collaborative efforts are expected to contribute significantly to the ongoing transformation of the country’s criminal justice system.

The meeting concluded with both leaders reaffirming their dedication to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that Ghana’s justice system remains responsive to the needs of citizens while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.

Present at the meeting were Judges from the Supreme, Appeal and High courts and some members of the Prisons Directorate.

By: Supt. Samuel Kofi Opoku