A Circuit Court Judge in Accra, Her Honour Sedinam Awo Kwadam, has revealed the numerous challenges faced by many lower bench judges in Ghana, including the need for some to rely on public transportation, popularly known as "trotro" to fulfill their professional duties.
According to her, it is deeply concerning that many judges and magistrates at the lower bench, unlike directors of state agencies and ministries, are compelled to work either without official vehicles or with old, dilapidated ones, thereby bearing the burden of ensuring their own safe mobility.
In a Workers' Day tribute under the theme Saluting the Resilience of Lower Bench Judges and Magistrates, Her Honour lamented that many lower bench judicial officers often rely on public transportation or personal resources, even for official duties in remote areas. "For instance, I have personally encountered a magistrate who relies on public minibuses, commonly known as trotro, and another who uses tricycles, referred to as K3K3 or Yellow Yellow, to fulfill their professional responsibilities. "Even for those judicial officers who are provided with official vehicles, many of these vehicles far exceed their intended lifespan, often being used for double the requisite number of years.
In some cases, judges and magistrates are assigned cars that are effectively at the end of their utility, operating at scrap value or well beyond their depreciated worth." She further raised concerns about inadequate security for judges and magistrates. "The lack of adequate police protection significantly compounds the challenges faced by officers of the lower bench.
