The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has called on the Chief Justice to direct all judges sitting on illegal mining (galamsey) cases to conclude the cases, hearing of which has started, within one month from the commencement of the new legal year on October 10, 2024.According to him, if most of these cases are completed within a month, it will go a long way in delivering justice for the heinous harm caused to the people by the devastating act.Mr.
Dame indicated that it is beyond argument that illegal mining continues to wreak incalculable damage to forest reserves and river bodies, pointing out that a major setback to the struggle against galamsey is the rate of adjudication and punishment of offenders.Mr.
Dame was speaking at this year's annual general meeting of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) in Accra yesterday under the theme: "Improving the Security and Welfare of the Judiciary for Effective Justice Delivery."He pointed out that currently, 140 cases of illegal mining involving over 850 accused persons are pending in courts in the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater-Accra and Upper East Regions of Ghana, with some pending since 2020."This situation cannot be right.
We are in urgent national crisis and all citizens and institutions with any form of role to play must be called to action," he stressed.Political RhetoricThe Attorney General also decried comments by politicians, especially those that suggest amnesty for people who have been tried and jailed for engaging in illegal mining.He called on politicians to desist from encouraging galamsey through their rhetoric and actions, stating that "those who preach amnesty for galamsey offenders must be rejected.