The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has issued an urgent directive for the immediate closure of the Kwame Danso District Court in the Sene-West District of the Bono-East Region, following a violent mob attack on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

JUSAG’s leadership, in a strongly-worded statement issued today, Thursday, December 11, formally called on the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to shut down the court until comprehensive and adequate security measures are permanently put in place.

The association further directed all staff of the court to stay away from work, citing an environment that is "unsafe and unfit for the administration of justice."

Details of the Violent Disruption

The attack, which JUSAG condemned “in no uncertain terms”, occurred around 8:00 a.m. while the court was actively hearing the case of The Republic v. Isaac Kwabena Mintah & Two Others.

The accused persons were facing charges that included unlawful damage, stealing, and assault under the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

According to JUSAG, a large, angry mob—incensed by news that the accused persons had been remanded—first gathered at the Kwame Danso Police Station before proceeding to the court premises.

The group allegedly stormed the courtroom, “wielding harmful objects”, effectively disrupting proceedings, dispersing staff and litigants, and forcibly releasing the three accused persons.

The statement noted that court staff fled for their safety, locking themselves inside offices as the mob destroyed furniture and office equipment and attempted to break into the magistrate’s chambers.

The volatile situation required the deployment of significant reinforcement from the Atebubu Police Unit to finally bring the mob under control. JUSAG reported that the magistrate and all court staff suffered “a traumatic experience” and continue to live in fear.

Disturbing Trend Threatens Stability

This incident is not an isolated one.

JUSAG expressed deep concern over what it called a disturbing trend of violent attacks on courts and police stations across the country.

Such attacks have been witnessed in places like Tamale and Kukurantumi in recent months, demonstrating a growing pattern of hostility toward justice sector institutions.

The association warned that such acts of lawlessness pose a serious threat to Ghana’s reputation as a stable democracy grounded in the rule of law, severely undermining judicial independence and staff morale.