By Jones Anlimah
A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Mrs. Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, has highlighted the significant impact of the Justice for All Programme in reducing the number of remand prisoners and improving access to justice in Ghana.
Speaking at an in-prison court sitting at the Ho Central Prisons, Justice Asare-Botwe said the initiative continues to promote fairness in the criminal justice system while addressing prison overcrowding.
She explained that Article 14(4) of the 1992 Constitution requires that a person who is arrested or detained must be released either unconditionally or on reasonable conditions if they are not tried within a reasonable time.
However, she noted that the absence of clearly defined timelines and institutional challenges had previously resulted in many accused persons spending long periods on remand without trial.
“In some cases, detainees have even spent more time awaiting trial than the maximum sentence the offence they are accused of carries,” she stated.
Justice Asare-Botwe noted that the Justice for All Programme, which was introduced in 2007 under the leadership of former Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, has contributed significantly to reducing the remand population in Ghana’s prisons.
According to her, prison statistics show considerable improvement since the programme began.
“At the inception of the programme in 2007, the total prisoner population was 13,800, out of which 4,218 were remand inmates, constituting about 30.57 percent of the total prison population,” she said.
She added that recent data from the Ghana Prisons Service shows a major decline in those figures.
“As of Monday, March 2, 2026, the total inmate population stands at 13,620, comprising 1,745 remand prisoners representing 12.8 percent, and 11,875 convicted prisoners,” Justice Asare-Botwe disclosed.
She attributed the improvement to stronger collaboration among institutions within the criminal justice system, including the Judicial Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Office of the Attorney-General, and the Legal Aid Commission.
During the Justice for All in-prison sitting at the Ho Central Prisons, a total of 19 cases were handled.
“The number of bail applications and variations granted were 12, one pre-trial prisoner was discharged, and three convictions were recorded after the inmates changed their plea to guilty,” she explained.
Three inmates were also referred for psychiatric treatment.
Justice Asare-Botwe stressed that while remand detention cannot be completely eliminated, stakeholders must continue working together to ensure that accused persons are not kept in custody unnecessarily.
“The Justice for All Programme has proven to be more than a response to overcrowding. It is a symbol of Ghana’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding human rights and ensuring that justice is not delayed or denied,” she said.
She further urged lawyers to offer pro bono legal services to support vulnerable inmates who lack legal representation.
The programme, she added, continues to provide hope for remand prisoners and contributes to improving efficiency within Ghana’s criminal justice system.
