Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has clarified that Ghana’s legal vacation should not be seen as a period when lawyers can decide whether court proceedings should continue.
The legal vacation runs from August 1 to September 30 and is intended to reduce the workload of the superior courts, rather than bring judicial activities to a complete halt.
Dr Srem-Sai explained that although court activities are significantly reduced during the period, the judiciary continues to operate. The Chief Justice determines which judges sit during the vacation through warrants authorizing them to perform judicial duties.
His comments come amid concerns raised by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), which has urged Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to ensure that judges respect established traditions surrounding the legal vacation.
The GBA has particularly raised concerns about lawyers being directed to appear in court despite notifying the court that they would be unavailable during the period. The association maintains that Vacation Courts are traditionally meant to deal with urgent and interlocutory matters rather than conduct full trials.
However, Dr Srem-Sai stressed that the legal vacation is not a vacation for lawyers and does not mean that the courts have closed.
He explained that a Vacation Judge may hear both interlocutory and substantive matters from their own court, while cases originating from another judge’s court may generally be restricted to interlocutor matters.
He said the arrangement ensures that the administration of justice continues while allowing judges to take their own vacation periods at appropriate times.
