Judicial Service Moves to Stop Lawyers, Litigants from Wasting Money on Cancelled Court Sittings
The Judicial Service of Ghana has introduced new measures aimed at preventing lawyers and litigants from wasting time and money travelling to court when scheduled sittings are cancelled or postponed without timely notification.
The directive, issued by Judicial Secretary Musah Ahmed on Monday, October 12, 2026, requires court registrars and clerks to promptly inform affected parties whenever a court is unable to sit as scheduled.
The move follows concerns about the inconvenience and financial burden faced by lawyers and litigants who travel to court only to discover that their cases cannot be heard because a sitting has been cancelled or adjourned.
Under the new arrangement, court registrars and assigned clerks are expected to notify all affected parties as soon as they become aware that a scheduled sitting will not take place. The measure is intended to give lawyers and litigants sufficient time to adjust their plans and avoid unnecessary travel expenses.
The Judicial Service has encouraged the use of available digital communication channels to ensure that information reaches the relevant parties quickly. These include WhatsApp messages, SMS and email, depending on the contact details available to the court registry.
Court registries are also expected to maintain accurate and updated contact information for lawyers appearing before them. This is intended to make communication more effective and reduce the likelihood of important notifications failing to reach those involved in pending cases.
The directive places particular responsibility on registrars and clerks to ensure that affected court users are informed whenever a sitting cannot proceed. Timely communication is expected to become a key part of the administrative process surrounding scheduled hearings.
The Judicial Service has warned that failure to provide timely notification, where reasonably possible, would be treated as a serious dereliction of duty. Heads of courts have also been instructed to circulate the directive and ensure that the relevant personnel comply with its requirements.
The development addresses a recurring concern within the justice system, where delays and changes to court schedules can create additional costs for people seeking legal remedies. For litigants, these expenses may include transportation, accommodation and time away from work or business. Lawyers may also incur travel costs and lose valuable working hours when hearings are unexpectedly cancelled.
Although adjournments can sometimes be unavoidable because of circumstances affecting judges, court personnel or the proceedings themselves, effective communication can help reduce the inconvenience caused to court users.
The new measures are therefore intended to improve coordination between court registries, lawyers and litigants while supporting more efficient court administration.
The directive also underscores the importance of clear communication in maintaining public confidence in the justice system. By ensuring that people receive timely information about changes to scheduled proceedings, the Judicial Service hopes to reduce avoidable expenses and make the court process more convenient for those who depend on it.
The effectiveness of the measures will depend on consistent implementation by court registries and the timely updating of contact details by the relevant parties.
Source: Thepressradio.com
