The Supreme Court has organised a free legal outreach programme aimed at promoting public engagement.
The public legal education exercise was designed to deepen public understanding of the law and make the country's apex court more accessible to citizens.
The event, preceded by a float and health walk through selected streets in Accra, formed part of the Court’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
It brought together Justices of the Superior Courts, lawyers, Judicial Service staff, and some members of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
The anniversary celebrations have the theme: "Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Defining the Future".
Rationale
The Chairman of the Supreme Court's 150th Anniversary Planning Committee and a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong, said the activities were intended to strengthen the relationship between the judiciary and the public after many years of limited public engagement.
He explained that the legal outreach, organised in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the GBA, saw lawyers deployed to markets and other public places to educate citizens on legal issues and provide free legal advice.
"The Supreme Court has lived in seclusion for far too long; therefore, this is an opportunity for us to engage and open up to the general public. It is their Supreme Court, and after 150 years, we have to find a way of making them part of the celebration," he said.
Public education
Justice Adjei-Frimpong said the legal education focused on issues such as spousal property rights, child custody and maritime law because of the growing public interest generated by recent court decisions.
Although public education on such matters already existed, he said continuous engagement was necessary to improve public understanding of the law.
"There are questions around these issues, and people are not always clear about what the law says. We believe this is a good opportunity to enhance public education and interact more with the people," he added.
Justice Adjei-Frimpong also underscored the importance of maintaining good health, saying regular physical exercise was essential to healthy living.
He said the inclusion of a health walk in the anniversary programme reflected the judiciary's commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and expressed the hope that similar activities would become a regular feature of future celebrations.
Strengthening rapport
The President of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), Samuel Afotey Otu, said the celebration provided an opportunity for judges, lawyers and Judicial Service staff to interact outside their normal work environment while promoting physical fitness.
"We have been sitting in offices and courtrooms all this while. Today, we have come together to exercise, burn calories and interact with one another as part of efforts to strengthen the rapport among the various units," he said.
Mr Afotey Otu said JUSAG had also incorporated health walks into activities leading to its upcoming Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Tamale, with staff and some judges expected to participate.
