The International Justice Mission (IJM) in collaboration with the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) has held a two-day workshop for some selected magistrates, their court registrars and panel members in family tribunal courts in the Volta and Oti regions.

The training which took place at Ho, the Volta regional capital was aimed at trauma-informed judicial practice.

The family tribunal courts in Ghana play a critical role in resolving family disputes, including cases involving child custody, divorce, child trafficking and domestic violence.

However, many of these cases involve trauma and can have a lasting impact on the individuals involved.

Therefore, it is essential that magistrates, court registrars, and panel members receive training on trauma-informed judicial practice to ensure that they handle these cases sensitively and effectively.

The two-day training was designed for participants to acknowledge the need to incorporate trauma-informed care when interacting with victims and witnesses during court sessions and procedures in applying for care/discharge order.

Justice Denis Adjei, a  Justice of the Court of Appeal, who was one of the facilitators said the program is about how to control trauma in the courtroom and court proceedings and that, it is important that every trial judge must understand trauma and how to deal with trauma.

Gabriel Acolatsey, Manager of Aftercare, International Justice Mission, said practitioners should be able to put on the attitude that will help victims of violence and also be dedicated to their duty to the benefit of the society.

He further stated that the training is being implemented in different zones across the country for state attorneys, lawyers, court officials to be trauma-informed in handling victims of trafficking and any kind of abuse and further called on stakeholders to come together to fight child trafficking in Ghana.