A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Eric Adjei-Frimpong says impoverished individuals still have difficulty accessing justice in Ghana.

This according to him is due to insufficient funding for the Legal Aid Commission.

He contends that accessing justice has become expensive, emphasizing the need to explore alternative avenues where people who are unable to afford justice delivery can seek assistance.

Speaking during his vetting on Wednesday, December 20, Justice Adjei-Frimpong stated that the Legal Aid Commission has become a department or institution of significant importance, allowing individuals to seek support.

However, the Commission, which could have helped these individuals, has not been adequately resourced for some years now.

“I remember when I was in Takoradi and presiding over the Accra-Takoradi Girls case, a highly sensitive matter where we wanted to fast-track the trial. At that point, I practically approached the Legal Aid director, pleading for funds to pay the lawyers. The defending lawyers were not appearing for the case, so that tells you how serious the matter is,” he said.

The Supreme Court Justice nominee noted that, besides the Legal Aid Commission, there are other avenues that needy people can consider to facilitate justice delivery.

Justice Adjei-Frimpong stressed that there is a need to make our legal processes more litigation-friendly so that people can access them.

“We can also look at ADR. That’s another avenue by which justice can be accessed at a more affordable rate because, in ADR, right at the beginning of the litigation, there is an option to go and settle,” he said.