Tribunals are ‘Kangaroo’ Courts – Minority Leader
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has strongly criticized the operations of tribunals in Ghana, describing them as “kangaroo courts” that lack fairness and due process.
Speaking to the media, Afenyo-Markin accused the government of using tribunals to harass political opponents and intimidate dissenting voices. He urged the President not to assent to the pending Tribunal Bill, arguing that it gives excessive powers to a system that is already being abused.
According to him, the way tribunals are currently constituted and run raises serious questions about impartiality. He said many citizens dragged before these bodies do not get the opportunity for a fair hearing and that decisions are often rushed without proper evidence or legal representation.
The Minority Leader linked his concerns to what he described as a growing trend of targeting members of the opposition under the guise of accountability and anti-corruption. He warned that if the bill is passed into law in its current form, it will further erode public trust in Ghana’s justice system.
Afenyo-Markin also called on civil society organizations, the Ghana Bar Association and human rights groups to speak up against what he termed a dangerous drift toward executive overreach. “We cannot build a democracy where people are punished first, and evidence is looked for later,” he said.
Government officials have in the past defended tribunals as necessary tools for dealing with administrative and regulatory matters quickly. However, critics like Afenyo-Markin argue that speed should not come at the expense of justice.
The Tribunal Bill has been a subject of heated debate in Parliament in recent weeks. The Minority says it will resist any attempt to railroad it through without broad consultation. The Majority is yet to formally respond to the latest comments from the Minority Leader.
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