The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has pledged that the next New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration would ensure each regional office of the Ministry will have its own permanent building.

This commitment, he said, is crucial to achieving the vision of a modern, well-equipped public legal service that can effectively support the legal needs of the state.

According to him, there is a need for an expanded and cohesive public legal service to meet the complex modern legal needs of the state.

He said this while speaking at the maiden Public Sector Lawyers' Conference on Tuesday at Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in the Greater Accra Region.

“Towards achieving the vision of a modern public legal service, I hereby assure you that in the next NPP administration, every regional office of the Ministry of Justice will own its own permanent office building,” he said.

Mr Dame further revealed that the Ministry is close to completing the recruitment of an additional 70 state attorneys, which will bring the total number appointed under President Akufo-Addo’s tenure to 190.

This expansion, he said, demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of the Attorney General’s Office.

“In a few days, the office will complete the recruitment process of 70 more attorneys, bringing the number of state attorneys appointed in the tenure of President Akufo-Addo to 190, this constitutes about half of the number of state attorneys currently in the role which is about 370.

“So Mr President has really done well which we must commend him,” he said.

To address this gap, Mr Dame proposed that each Ministry, Department, Agency (MDA), and District Assembly should have a state attorney to manage legal affairs.

This, he argued, would create harmony and eliminate inefficiencies in government legal work, noting that allowing Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to hire their lawyers often leads to disorganisation.

“Thus, my vision is that in the near future we can ensure cohesion in the public service and avoid an uncoordinated approach which leads to inefficiencies,” he said.

In his address, the Attorney General expressed his appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for improving conditions of service for state attorneys, noting the recent completion of the Law House, a new 12-storey headquarters for the Office of the Attorney General, commissioned on June 10, 2024.

Describing it as “an imposing symbol of all your efforts to improve the conditions in which state attorneys work,” Mr Dame lauded the president’s support in enhancing the infrastructure of the justice sector.