A criminal law practitioner, Augustine Obour has condemned the manner in which aggrieved jurors in the Upper West Region protested over unpaid allowances owed to them.

During a criminal case hearing on Thursday, the jurors in the region staged a walkout over allowances that have not been paid since 2021.

https://myjoyonline.com/jurors-in-upper-west-abandon-criminal-cases-over-unpaid-allowances/

According to them, they would only return to the court when their concerns are addressed.

But speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, Mr Obour condemned the walkout approach and described the incident as strange.

He explained that it doesn’t show respect for the jurors to conduct themselves in the manner they did in the presence of a judge.

“The last time, they gave us notice ..but with what I am hearing today if it is true that cases were going on and they just left the courtroom it is a new strategy which I do not think it shows respect to the judge. We don't do that to our judges, I mean we honour and respect them. I don’t agree with the approach … for a judge to sit and you walk out like that, it is very disrespectful,” he stressed.

He questioned why the jurors were present for a case to proceed before staging a walkout.

“Why did you come in the first place if you knew you were going to walk out? Why didn’t you just write a letter that you would not be able to sit today because you are fighting for your allowances? They should not do that again… with strike, you have to give notice.”

According to him, he is surprised about the turn of events in court, adding the jurors were paid two months ago.

“About two months ago, they were paid. I was in a case like that and some of them said now we have been paid so we can go on and we continued, so I am surprised how the whole thing happened.”

Mr Obour said although they are entitled to their pay and have the right to strike, they have to use the right procedure to protest, adding that “if they did not follow procedure then the law must take its course.”

On the same show, the Upper West Regional President of the Ghana Bar Association, Saddiq Baidoo, said the Bar is working in collaboration with the supervising high court judge and other stakeholders to ensure that the jurors' concerns are addressed.

According to him, the jurors will be paid by the end of the legal year – 2^nd week of October.

He explained that the challenge with payment is due to the accumulative nature of returns.