The Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, on Monday inaugurated Ghana's third Court of Appeal in Cape Coast. The newly inaugurated court, which will sit for a week once in every month, will serve both the Central and Western regions. The Chief Justice noted that access to justice implied among other things, that the citizens did not travel several kilometres in order to have their disputes resolved in accordance with law. She was confident that the establishment of the new court would reduce the travel time for litigants in the Central and Western regions who, hitherto, had to travel to Accra to have their appeals disposed of. According to her, available records indicated that a large number of cases from the Western and Central regions were pending in the Accra Court of Appeal and that had necessitated the establishment of a Court of Appeal in the western corridor of the country. She said with the discovery of crude oil in the Western Region and the ancillary businesses that had emerged as a result, it was anticipated that the courts would witness an upsurge in the number of commercial, land and labour cases. Mrs Justice Wood was of the hope that the new Court of Appeal would expeditiously dispose of those appeals arising from business and commercial transactions to enhance the general business climate and the image of the country as a credible investment destination. She entreated all stakeholders and users of the facility to co-operate fully with the court to justify the investment made in establishing it. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Amidu, noted that the government was determined to co-operate with the Judiciary and the Ghana Bar Association to meet the expectations of the people for expeditious and transparent justice to the litigating public. He said the Attorney-General’s Department would play its role of ensuring that a sufficient number of attorneys were posted to service the courts in the two regions. He called on lawyers in private practice to endeavour to render services to the indigenes and the vulnerable in society as part of their duty to defend the poor, as well as promote justice in society. The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, expressed gratitude for the new court, saying it would save cost and time, as well as bring justice to the doorstep of all.