Godfred Dame Urges Chief Justice To Expedite Cases Against Illegal Miners
- The Attorney General has urged the Chief Justice to direct her judges to conclude all galamsey-related cases within a month
- He said the dragging of such cases is partly responsible for the growing impunity with which these illegal miners destroy the environment
- Godfred Dame also urged politicians to desist from encouraging illegal mining activities through their rhetoric and actions
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General has urged Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo to fast-track cases related to illegal mining in the courts.
Godfred Dame said galamsey-related cases should be handled within a month of the case being presented in court.
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According to the Attorney-General, expediting the court processes would help curb the ongoing destruction of the country’s natural resources by these illegal miners and their illicit activities.
Godfred Dame told the Annual Conference of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana at the La Beach Hotel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, that the slow pace of prosecuting galamsey cases was worrying.
He noted that the longer these cases drag in court, the more devastating the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s natural environment.
Godfred Dame also urged politicians to desist from encouraging illegal mining activities through their rhetoric and actions.
He said the Ghanaian electorate must reject those that promise amnesty for galamsey offenders.
“There should be no place for the grant of amnesty for such crimes in our body politic as the lives of citizens and the future of our nation are at risk,” he said.
Dame defends prosecution of protesters
The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, had also defended the government’s decision to prosecute members of the Democracy Hub who had partaken in an anti-galamsey protest in Accra.
He said their actions at the protest exceeded the limits permissible under free expression and thus threatened public safety.
Godfred Dame noted that while the Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression, this freedom must be exercised responsibly and within legal remits.
He cited several international examples of how democracies dealt with protesters who had engaged in unlawful behaviour and urged Ghana to follow suit.
He said setting an example of them would prevent any more threats to public safety, particularly as the 2024 general elections draw near.
Alan calls for stricter sanctions for galamseyers
YEN.com.gh reported that Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Alliance for Revolutionary Change leader and independent presidential candidate, said his future government would impose a life sentence on galamsey operators.
He said the current 10-year imprisonment regime is not punitive enough to deter others from engaging in illicit activity.
He also said that his government would restore all damaged lands and water bodies.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
