The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the Chief Justice of neglecting the deplorable state of Ghana’s courtrooms and judicial infrastructure while allegedly focusing on monitoring the activities of the Executive.

In a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, the party claimed several courts and offices of the Judiciary remain in poor condition, with dilapidated courtrooms, overwhelmed registries, and staff working under conditions it says affect the effective delivery of justice.

The NPP alleged that the Chief Justice has failed to visit courts facing infrastructure challenges to assess their condition or publicly advocate for their refurbishment.

“He has not visited a single one of these ailing courts to assess their deplorable state, nor raised his voice for their retooling and refurbishment,” the party said.

Instead, the NPP accused the Chief Justice of becoming a “monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive”.

The party claimed he had “metamorphosed into the monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive, abandoning his own collapsing house to tour the state agencies of the government for purposes known only to God.”

“With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries,” the statement added.

The NPP further criticised what it described as the absence of significant reforms under the Chief Justice to improve justice delivery.

The party argued that litigants continue to face delays in the courts, while it accused the Chief Justice of focusing instead on what it called the targeting of opposition figures.

“His one visible programme has been the hatchet job of targeting opposition voices,” the NPP alleged.

It further claimed that a Chief Justice whose legacy is “persecution rather than reform” had lost the confidence of the nation.

The NPP’s statement has also drawn attention to longstanding concerns about the condition of judicial infrastructure in Ghana.

The party argued that dilapidated court buildings, inadequate facilities and pressure on registries contribute to challenges in the administration of justice.

It accused the Chief Justice of prioritising political commentary and engagement with the Executive over what it considers his primary responsibility of ensuring an efficient and independent Judiciary.

The party is demanding that the Chief Justice retract what it describes as partisan commentary and refocus his attention on his constitutional responsibilities, including addressing challenges confronting the Judiciary.

The NPP also wants greater attention paid to the refurbishment and retooling of courts and judicial offices across the country.

The Judicial Service had not responded to the allegations at the time of publication.