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herklotz@law.fordham.edu
Chief Justice Wood asked the police to ensure that those accused of crimes be treated fairly and that their fundamental human rights be respected at all times. She also stressed the judiciarys continued commitment to the protection of human rights and announced the establishment of a Human Rights Court. With the creation of this court, Ghana becomes one of the few countries with a specialized national court to address human rights violations.
Professor Paolo Galizzi, Director of the Sustainable Development Initiative (SDLI) of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham University School of Law, thanked the Chief Justice for her continuing efforts to strengthen the rule of law and improve the delivery of justice in Ghana. He highlighted the judiciarys resolve to rectify the current case backlog by placing High Court judges to assist in the lower courts. In addition, he thanked the Police Service and the participants for their continuous support and participation in the workshop.
The three week course for 100 police prosecutors and investigators is designed to assist members of the Ghana Police Service in the performance of their prosecutorial duties. The course involves interactive lectures and simulations centered on key topics such as criminal law, criminal procedure, and the administration of justice. Emphasis is placed on the importance of applying the highest level of fairness and international and national human rights standards. The workshop provides an introductory legal training for many of the police prosecutors, and encourages them to share their new knowledge with other officers in their region.
The workshop is organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the Ghana Police Service. Fordham Professor Victor Essien will deliver lectures during the course of the workshop and Fordham Law students, Ali Shariat and Aisha Jones, are working with fellow interns from KNUST on evaluating the effectiveness of the training program.
