Full List of All 26 Vacation Judges Nationwide and Their Courts
- A total of 26 judges, including two Court of Appeal judges, are sitting in courts across eight regions during Ghana's ongoing legal vacation
- The judges' warrants allow them to hear substantive matters, not just emergency processes, meaning dozens of pending cases can proceed
- The arrangement follows petitions by lawyers Godfred Dame and Atta Akyea to the Chief Justice over proceedings during the vacation period
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A total of 26 judges have been assigned to sit in courts across Ghana during the ongoing legal vacation, amid growing public debate over the continuation of substantive cases and high-profile proceedings during the recess.
The issue gained public attention after prominent lawyers, including former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame and Samuel Atta Akyea, petitioned the Chief Justice over the continuation of proceedings involving their respective clients while the judiciary is officially on vacation.
Source: Facebook
The full roster, originally released by anti-corruption advocacy group Pledge Against Corruption and subsequently published by Adom Online, shows that the vacation judges have been deployed across eight regions.
These are Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, Western and Western North, Ashanti, Volta, Northern and Upper East.
What the vacation judges are authorised to do
According to official Judicial Service documentation, the judges assigned to vacation duty are not limited to hearing emergency applications or high-profile criminal matters.
Under warrants issued by the Chief Justice, the judges are authorised to hear substantive cases pending before their respective courts.
This means that if a designated vacation judge has, for example, 20 cases pending before their regular division, those matters can continue during the legal vacation.
The judges have also been given additional jurisdiction over neighbouring courts to deal with urgent motions, bail applications and other interlocutory matters requiring immediate attention.
The 26-member roster comprises two Court of Appeal judges sitting as additional High Court judges and 24 High Court judges deployed across various regional capitals and judicial divisions.
Greater Accra Region
Land Courts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 12 (morning and afternoon): Justice Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison (Mrs), whose regular court is Land Court 5 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Land Courts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11: Justice Afia Owusua Appiah, whose regular court is Land Court 8 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Labour Courts/Human Rights Courts (morning and afternoon): Justice Caleb Abaidoo, whose regular court is Labour Court 1 at the Supreme Court premises, Accra.
Family Courts (morning and afternoon): Justice Mariam Sinare, whose regular court is Family Court 2 at the Supreme Court premises, Accra.
Financial Courts: Justice Sedinam Awo Kwadam, whose regular court is Financial Court 1 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
General Jurisdiction Courts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 (morning and afternoon): Justice Halimah El-Alawa A-Baasit, whose regular court is General Jurisdiction Court 2 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
General Jurisdiction Courts 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 (morning and afternoon): Justice Isaac Addo, whose regular court is General Jurisdiction Court 4 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Criminal Courts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, whose regular court is Criminal Court 4 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Probate and L.A. Courts 1, 2 and 3 (morning and afternoon): Justice Akosua Dansoa Asiamah Christopher, whose regular court is Probate and L.A. Court 2 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Commercial Courts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (morning and afternoon): Justice John Mark Alifo, whose regular court is Commercial Court 2 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
Commercial Courts 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10: Justice Mavis Akua Andoh, whose regular court is Commercial Court 8 at the Law Court Complex, Accra.
High Courts 1 and 2 (morning and afternoon), Amasaman/Sowutuom/Nsawam and Medium Prisons: Justice Alexander Graham, whose regular court is High Court 2, Amasaman.
All High Courts, Tema/Gbetsile: Justice Abena Amponsah Buansi, whose regular court is the High Court, Gbetsile.
All High Courts, Adentan: Justice Mawusi Bedzrah, whose regular court is High Court 2 (afternoon), Adentan.
Eastern Region
All High Courts in Koforidua/Somanya, Krobo Odumase, Akropong and Akuapem: Justice Emmanuel Ayesu Essampong, whose regular court is High Court 4 (Commercial Division), Koforidua.
Kyebi/Nkawkaw/Akim Oda High Courts: Justice Naa Amerley Akowua (Mrs), whose regular court is the High Court, Kyebi.
Central Region
All High Courts in Cape Coast, including the Special Court, Assin Fosu and Mankessim: Justice Jacqueline Awusi-Sekyi Avotri, whose regular court is the Special Court, Cape Coast.
All High Courts in Agona Swedru, Winneba and Kasoa: Justice Alexander Oworae, whose regular court is High Court 1, Kasoa.
Western and Western North Regions
All High Courts in Sekondi and Tarkwa: Justice Malcolm Ewocnam Bedzrah, whose regular court is High Court 2, Sekondi.
High Courts in Dunkwa-On-Offin, Obuasi and Sefwi Wiawso: Justice Kwame Polley, whose regular court is the High Court, Dunkwa-On-Offin.
Ashanti Region
High Courts in Kumasi 1, 3, 4 and 5, including Commercial Courts (morning and afternoon): Justice Gloria Mensah Bonsu, whose regular court is High Court 4 (afternoon), Kumasi.
High Courts in Kumasi 2, 6, 7 and 8, Offinso High Courts and Prisons High Court (morning and afternoon): Justice Osman Abdul-Hakeem, whose regular court is High Court 2 (afternoon), Kumasi.
Mampong/Atebubu High Courts: Justice Charles Edward Yirenkyi Addo, whose regular court is the High Court, Atebubu.
All High Courts in Sunyani, Wenchi and Goaso, including Commercial Courts and Techiman High Court: Justice Peter Oppong-Boahen, whose regular court is the High Court, Goaso.
Volta Region
Ho, Hohoe and Dambai High Courts: Justice Moses Bedima Duut, whose regular court is the High Court, Dambai.
Sogakope and Denu High Courts: Justice Sylvester Nii Okine Ablorh, whose regular court is the High Court, Denu.
Northern Region
All High Courts and Commercial Courts in Tamale, Wa and Nalerigu: Justice Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, whose regular court is Commercial Court A, Tamale.
Upper East Region
Bolgatanga High Courts: Justice Francis Asong Obuajo, whose regular court is High Court 1, Bolgatanga.
Debate over court sittings during legal vacation
Ghana's legal vacation traditionally provides an opportunity for judicial officers to undertake research, complete administrative work and take a break from their regular court schedules.
However, the decision to allow substantive cases to continue during the current vacation has generated debate within the legal fraternity.
Critics argue that keeping courts active during the recess could interfere with the purpose of the legal vacation and create scheduling difficulties for lawyers and litigants.
Supporters of the arrangement, on the other hand, maintain that it is necessary to prevent case backlogs and ensure continued access to justice.
They also argue that the arrangement is particularly important for accused persons in custody awaiting trial, as well as parties involved in urgent commercial and civil disputes.
The deployment of the 26 judges therefore allows selected courts to remain operational while the wider judiciary observes its legal vacation.
Citizen sues AG, CJ over legal vacation
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that a Ghanaian citizen, Elorm Kwami Gorni, had filed a Supreme Court suit on July 28, 2026, challenging the annual August-September suspension of appellate court sittings.
The lawsuit sought to invalidate provisions under the Court of Appeal Rules 1997 and Supreme Court Rules 1996 governing the two-month legal vacation.
Gorni argued that appellate courts should adopt rotational sittings or staggered leave to protect litigants' constitutional right to a fair hearing.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
