Justice Delivery Archives -

CJ shuts down 7 courts over renewed Bawku conflict

The Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has ordered the closure of seven courts in the Upper East Region in the wake of escalating violence in the chieftaincy-related conflict in the area. The measure, the Chief Justice said, was to ensure the safety of judges, staff and court users. The affected courts are the High, Circuit and District courts in Bolgatanga as well as District courts in Zuarungu, Zebilla, Garu and Bongo respectively. Already the Circuit and District courts in Bawku had been closed since the conflict resumed in November 2021, compelling residents in need of court services to resort to those in nearby districts. The closure of the courts follows heightened insecurity in the region as a result of a deadly gunfire attack by unidentified gunmen who opened fire on travellers along the Bolgatanga-Tamale highway last Sunday, October 27, 2024. In the sad incident, some people were killed while two vehicles were burnt, resulting in heightened fear in that area and Bawku as well. The latest clashes were as a result of the return of a rival chief to Bawku. The new developments have brought the once vibrant Bawku town to a standstill as residents cannot carry out their normal activities freely. To tackle the situation, last Monday, the government was compelled to impose a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew on Bawku and its surrounding communities. Closure A memorandum dated October 29, 2024, and signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Pamela C.A. Koranteng announcing the closure of the courts, said the attention of the Chief Justice had been drawn to concerns expressed by lawyers and other stakeholders about the situation in Bawku and its environs. It said: “In order to ensure the safety of judges, staff, lawyers and court users, the Chief Justice has ordered the closure of the affected courts with immediate effect until further notice”. The statement urged registrars to keep all assets of the courts safe and further entreated the staff to stay safe. Visit During a visit by the Daily Graphic to three of the affected courts in Bolgatanga yesterday, all of them had been locked as the staff had adhered to their closure and subsequently stayed away from work. The Daily Graphic team observed that only security officers were manning the premises, but they declined an interview. The vibrant activities usually witnessed around the court premises daily were absent at the time of the visit due to the closure as the entire environment had turned into a ‘ghost’ area. Also, information gathered indicated that some people and clients who were unaware of the announcement thronged the courts to seek various services yesterday in the morning, only to be greeted with their closure. The disappointed court users who had travelled from far and near to seek legal and other services had no option but to return to their respective destinations. graphic

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Galamsey: Four dedicated courts established to fight the menace – Presidency

In a bid to enhance legal action against illegal mining President Akufo-Addo has directed the Attorney General to work with the Chief Justice to “increase the number of courts handling cases related to illegal mining”. The president stated that four dedicated courts had already been established to enhance the legal actions against galamsey. Regarding other steps to fight the illicit small-scale mining trade, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also directed the Minister for Defence to deploy additional military forces to intensify the ongoing operation halt which aims to curb illegal mining activities. The President also directed the Ministry of the Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend with immediate effect the enforcement of L.I 2462 on mining in forest reserves. This comes after a meeting with Organsied Labour on Tuesday, October 8 after the latter had announced they would declare a nationwide strike on October 10 if government fails to take action against illegal mining. In a statement issued on October 9 by the Office of the Presidency, President Akufo-Addo outlined a number of measures to address concerns raised by Organised Labour. These include; a directive for the Defence Minister to deploy additional military forces to intensify ‘Operation Halt’ in curbing illegal mining activities. “The operation will be bolstered by the deployment of naval boats on polluted river bodies to ensure the immediate cessation of all mining activities, legal or illegal, in and around these water bodies,” the statement said. Government also urged the presidential candidates and the various political parties to sign a pact committing themselves to fight illegal mining. The president further requested that Organised Labour suspend its planned strike action on October 10 and collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure effective combat of the galamsey menace. Organised Labour has also suspended its intended strike on October 10, 2024. This comes after they expressed satisfaction with the government’s measures announced to tackle illegal mining in the country. 3news

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Lawyer shortage hits Legal Aid

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The Public Defenders Division, one of the three functional divisions of the Legal Aid Commission, was able to resolve only 323 out of the 1,518 criminal cases it received between January 2023 and July this year. This is due to the shortage of lawyers (public defenders) available to support the work of the division charged with the mandate of representing accused persons who cannot afford the services of a lawyer. Currently, there are only 34 lawyers who act as public defenders nationwide, significantly affecting the division’s ability to handle the high volume of criminal cases. Out of these, only 12 specialise in criminal cases and are concentrated in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western/ Western North regions, leaving some areas without any legal support. The shortage, therefore, puts immense pressure on the few lawyers who must cover multiple border regions. For example, in the three regions of the north (formerly Northern Region), there are only two lawyers responsible for criminal cases, one of whom is due for retirement this year. Public Defender A public defender is a lawyer usually holding public office, who is appointed to defend accused persons who are poor and unable to hire a lawyer of their choice. Their work is to, at all phases of the criminal procedure, represent indigent criminal offenders such as the poor and vulnerable, women, juveniles, remand prisoners, and persons with disability who come into conflict with law. A public defender represents such persons during pre-trial proceedings right from the time of arrest up to trial and beyond on appeal. In January last year, a case monitored by the Daily Graphic at the Accra Circuit Court highlighted the impact of the unavailability of a public defender on the right of accused persons. The then accused, Dauda Mohammed Nazir’s fate of possibly serving a minimum jail term of 10 years was saved on January 25, 2023, through the intervention of a lawyer. Incident Nazir had pleaded guilty to the count of engaging in violent activities at an election event held in Cape Coast, when he first appeared at the Accra Circuit Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah on January 10, 2023, without legal representation. Nazir, who speaks Hausa, had been charged alongside two others. He was the only accused person whose plea was taken on January 10, 2023, in the judge’s chambers because he supposedly agreed for his charges to be read in English, while the plea of the other accused persons was postponed because they preferred their charges to be read in their local dialect instead of English. At the time Nazir pleaded guilty to the vigilante charges, he had no legal representation. It was only on January 25, 2023, a day set aside for judgement, that Nazir made an appearance in court with a lawyer. The lawyer, Beatrice Annangfio, who contested the sentencing of her client, argued that her client did not fully understand what it meant to plead guilty to the offence, adding that the court clerk, who was not a certified interpreter, did not communicate to the understanding of the accused whose native language was Hausa. After a compelling case by the lawyer, the court halted the sentencing of the accused person. “In this case, I will allow the plea of the convict to be retaken,” Mr Acquah said, saving Nazir from possibly serving a minimum of 10 years on the charges. Impact Speaking to the Daily Graphic on the impact of the shortage on the PDD’s work, the Director of the PDD, Nelson M. Kporha, also recounted the story of a young man who had engaged the services of a commercial motor rider to a destination. The accused person, Ibrahim Amin, begged the victim, the motor rider, to give him a lift from Ekorso to Abomosu on February 4, 2021. On reaching a section of the road between Ekorso and Abomosu, the accused ordered the victim to stop and get off the motorbike. The accused then took off with the motorbike through Asonafo to the Kumasi-Accra highway, but was arrested together with the motorbike at New Jejeti and brought to the Kwabeng Police Station. After investigation, the accused was charged with the offence of robbery and arraigned before the Circuit Court at Anyinam, without a lawyer. He simply pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. The charge was read in Twi to the accused person, who is a Mamprussi. On an appeal referred to the PDD’s office in Accra, the High Court agreed with Mr Kporha, also a public defender, that the facts did not support the offence of robbery. Accordingly, the conviction and sentence on the charge of robbery was set aside, substituted with stealing, and he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Rights Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees an individual’s right to a fair trial. Under Article 19 (2)(d), the Constitution gives a person charged with a criminal offence the opportunity to be informed immediately in a language that he understands, and in detail, of the nature of the offence charged. This was not done in the case of Nazir and Amin, making their chances of effectively defending themselves very bleak. The Legal Aid Commission Act of 2018 (Act 977) was passed and assented to by the President on September 13, 2018. The Act establishes the Legal Aid as a Commission and creates PDD as one of its three major divisions. The others are the Citizens Advisory Division and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Division (ADR). The PDD exists to assist persons in need of legal assistance for the realisation of the right of equality before the law and for fair trial. Among its functions is to act as Public Defender for the realisation of Article 14 (Protection of personal liberty), Article 17 (Equality and Freedom from discrimination) and Article 19 (Fair trial) under the 1992 Constitution. Public defenders also ensure that a person who is arrested, restricted, detained or accused of an offence is afforded the

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Chief Justice opens 12 Small credit and debt recovery courts

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The Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkonoo has opened 12 special courts dedicated to small claims and debt recovery cases. Eight of these courts are located in the Greater Accra Region while four of them are situated in the Ashanti Region. The courts were created following an observation of a spike in small claims cases filed at the district court in Ghana. The increase has been attributed to cases filed by a single company Bills MicroCredit. Justice Esaaba Torkonoo at the opening of the courts noted that ‘the data further revealed that over 70% of the total cases filed by Bills MicroCredit were for claims less than GHC 5,000.” This situation then increased the workload of the district courts which already were overwhelmed, thereby undermining the court shift system that was introduced by the Judicial Service. To address this, the Judicial Service with support from the Bills MicroCredit company created the small claims and debt recovery courts to clear these cases. The courts in the discharge of their duties will sit every working day in the afternoons and on Saturdays. “For the Greater Accra Region, District Court, Ashaiman, District Court, Teshie, District Court, Kasoa and District Court, La, will operate as the Saturday courts while District Court, Weija, District Court, Sowutuom, District Court ‘2’, Adenta and District Court, Gbese will operate as the weekday afternoon courts,” Chief Justice Torkonoo noted during the opening of the courts. The head of the judiciary at the opening of the courts at the La District Courts expressed appreciation to Bills MicroCredit for opting to support the operations of the 12 courts. Meanwhile the CEO of Bills MicroCredit, Richard Quaye, on the other hand, noted that the courts will go a long way to boost their business. He explained that his outfit has so far filed 30,000 cases across the country. ‘One significant challenge we have faced is the sheer volume of defaulters resulting in our need to resort to the courts for recovery — over 30,000 — filed by our company seeking expedited hearings. “The establishment of the new Small Claims Court will greatly alleviate the burden on our judicial system, ensuring that cases are resolved more quickly and efficiently,” Richard Quaye said at the opening of the courts. Citinewsroom

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Judicial Service to establish debt recovery court

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The Judicial Service will next week open small claim debt recovery courts to redeem monies borrowed by customers from financial institutions. This is to reduce the number of cases before the courts in the shift system. Mrs Gertrude Torkornoo, the Chief Justice (CJ), said this during a meeting with the Judicial Press Corps. She said since the inception of the Court Shift System this year, 30,000 cases were filed by the Quick Credit Loans, adding that the financial institution intended to file close to 55,000 debt related cases. The CJ said when the court is set up, it would sit on Saturdays and in the afternoons to help deal with the backlog of debt related cases. That, she said, would help move the huge burden on judges, especially at the district courts as well as ensure justice was served on time. Mr Wilberforce Asare, Leader of the Judicial Press Corps, thanked the CJ and management of the Service for the engagement. The Small Claim Debt Recovery courts will be piloted in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions. GNA

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More Supreme Court Justices constitutional, would ensure effective justice – AG to Akufo-Addo

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The Attorney-General (AG), Godfred Yeboah Dame, has affirmed that the proposal to augment the number of justices of the Supreme Court from the standard 15, alongside the Chief Justice, is in line with the constitution and would promote efficient justice delivery. This statement comes in response to the President’s decision to solicit the AG’s counsel on the Chief Justice’s appeal for an increased number of Supreme Court justices. In a communique to the President, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo emphasised the pressing need for the expansion of the Supreme Court bench, stating, “In view of the realities of the court’s workload and output and the need for the court to appropriately serve the justice needs of the nation.” She elaborated on the current operational conditions of the Supreme Court of Ghana (SCOG), which functions three days a week in alternating weeks to manage its caseload. “Two days are used for panel sitting, and one day for the sitting of a single judge. The SCOG therefore sits 12 times a month. On any given day of sitting, the court deals with a minimum of 15 cases and so works on not fewer than 45 matters in a week or approximately 180 matters in a month,” she clarified. In his letter addressing the Chief Justice’s request, Mr Dame advised President Akufo-Addo that the determination of the number of Supreme Court justices at any given time would be influenced by the administration of justice and the court’s requirements. “Given the breadth of the multiplicity of jurisdictions of the Supreme Court, the request for the increase in the number of justices serving on the Supreme Court from the conventional fifteen (in addition to the Chief Justice) to twenty, is not only constitutional but would ensure speedy and effective justice, minimise delays and unnecessary expense and conduce to the general efficient administration of the Supreme Court,” he stated. The AG also highlighted that the execution of the Supreme Court’s functions, in accordance with the constitution, would necessitate differently constituted panels of the Supreme Court convening concurrently. “Understandably, the permutations in the constitution of the panels, almost simultaneously, could be daunting for effective and efficient work in the face of the limited number of Justices at the Supreme Court, as the Court is incessantly inundated with cases,” he added. Mr Dame observed that the substantial increase in the backlog of 414 and 595 cases in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 legal years, during which there were the fewest number of Justices of the Supreme Court for the five-year period under review, provided empirical justification for the need to expand the number of Justices at the Supreme Court to curb the rising backlog of cases. “The enhancement of the membership of the Supreme Court to twenty, as requested in the brief by Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, is appropriate,” he added. However, Mr Dame underscored the need to contemplate the fiscal implications on the public purse of any supplementary appointment of Justices to the Supreme Court. “This is in view of the charge of emoluments payable to Justices of the Supreme Court on the Consolidated Fund,” he added. He pointed out that the jurisdictions exercised by other Supreme Courts in notable countries in the Common Law tradition are comparatively much narrower, relative to the extensive multiple jurisdictions conferred on the Supreme Court of Ghana. “Ultimately, a constitutional amendment circumscribing the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Ghana, in the long term, is necessary, as stated above. Therefore, unlike in Canada, the United Kingdom, Kenya and South Africa, where the number of justices of the Supreme Court is capped, the highest number of Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana is not capped in the Constitution or in the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459). “This gives discretion to the appointing authority to increase the appointment of Justices to the Supreme Court subject to the demands of the needs of justice,” he added. Citinewsroom

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Chief Justice defends request for more Supreme Court judges

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Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has defended her request for additional Supreme Court judges, citing the overwhelming number of cases the apex court handles. Delivering her closing remarks after the hearing of two lawsuits filed by Broadcast Journalist Richard Dela Sky and Researcher Dr. Amanda Odoi against Parliament’s passage of the anti-gay bill, the Chief Justice highlighted the need for more judges. “The ruling is adjourned to July 17, 2024. We must thank everyone for their patience, but this is our lot. There are several cases pending, right? That is why we need more Supreme Court judges,” she stated. Her comments follow a formal request to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to nominate five judges to the Supreme Court of Ghana, aiming to strengthen the judiciary with highly qualified and experienced legal minds. The names nominated for appointment to the Supreme Court include Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botchwey, the presiding judge in the ambulance case involving Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as well as Justice Cyra Pamela Koranteng, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuour, and Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah. #Citinewsroom

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Opuni trial cannot start afresh – Supreme Court reaffirms Court of Appeal decision

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A five-member panel of the Supreme Court presided over by the Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, has reaffirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision for the trial of Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni and two others not to start afresh. The unanimous decision of the apex Court was that the Court of Appeal was right in its July 3, 2023, decision for retired Justice Clemence Honyenuga’s proceedings to be adopted for the trial to continue. The Apex Court said the request from the Applicants was without merit and the same was dismissed. The Chief Justice’s chaired panel also comprised Justice Mariama Owusu, Justice Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yaw Darko Asare, and Justice Ernest Ernest Gaewu. On July 3, 2023, a three-member Court of Appeal panel presided over Justice Philip Bright Mensah, unanimously ordered the High Court hearing the case of the Republic versus Stephen Kwabena Opuni and two others to adopt proceedings from the trial conducted by the previous judge who heard the case from 2018 till March 2023. The decision of the Court of Appeal followed an appeal by Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame which challenged the decision of the High Court presided over by Justice Kwesi Anokye Gyimah, not to inherit proceedings from the court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga (now retired), who started the trial in 2018. The Court of Appeal panel, which comprised of Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaah and Justice Jennifer Abena Dadzie, the decision of Justice Kwesi Anokye Gymah not to adopt the proceedings from the previous court amounted to a misdirection of the Court’s powers. The court further concluded that considering the circumstances of the case in question (the Republic versus Stephen Kwabena Opuni and two others), justice will be better served if the proceedings are adopted for the new trial judge to continue from where the previous court left off. “The decision of the High Court is referred to this Court, and the appeal is allowed in its entirety. The proceedings of the previous court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga be adopted by the High Court differently constituted, and the registrar of the High Court is ordered to do so accordingly, ” the Court of Appeal ruled. After the proceedings in court, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame told journalists that he believes the Court of Appeal decision will ensure fairness to both sides of the case (the prosecution and the defense). He also indicated that his Office has drafted a bill that is aimed at improving the country’s criminal jurisprudence and one of the provisions in the new Bill addresses the issue of adopting proceedings in criminal trials by other courts in the event that another trial court or judge is unable to conclude a matter before them. Currently, the trial is ongoing at the High Court presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh with businessman, Seidu Agongo and his company Agricult Ghana Limited their Witnesses. Starrfm.com.gh

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Beyond impunity – by Francisca Serwaa Boateng Esq.

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16th May, 2024 A: Introduction & background facts “[I]f we were so unfortunate as to get for our Chief Justice a cynical, mischievous and obstinate individual who also had the ear of the President, at least, a sizeable section of the Judiciary could be subjected to mayhem, with a not too remote consequence of bedlam.”[1] In the past one week, a lot has happened on the law front. Two of the most well-known cases in this Republic came on for hearing in the Supreme Court. The cases concerned first, were the LGBTQI cases seeking to abort the signing of the Proper Human Sexual Rights & Ghanaian Family Values Bill into law and second, an appeal in the matter of criminal proceedings against one Dr. Stephen Opuni. Thanks to the power of the media – both traditional and social – the entire country was feted to the full details of what transpired in the hallowed sanctum of the Supreme Court in both cases. The hearing in the LGBTQI cases was beamed live on television. The Attorney-General reportedly requested the live TV transmission of the proceedings and it was granted by the Chief Justice who chaired the panel. It is unclear what input, if any, was solicited from or made by the other parties in the cases before cameras were zoomed into their faces in open court. Be that as it may, it is the entire citizenry’s expectation that when the actors make time to review their performances on live TV, they will be fully satisfied with what they see. In the matter of the Opuni proceedings, there were no TV cameras present but the after-court-session reports in the media made startling reading. It will be recalled that when Honyenuga, JSC retired from the Supreme Court bench at 70 years + 6 months, the criminal proceedings he was handling as an additional High Court judge in Republic v Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Seidu Agongo and Agricult Ltd was put before a High Court judge, Anokye Gyimah, J. The new judge ruled that he would hold a fresh hearing. The Attorney-General appealed against the ruling. The Court of Appeal overturned the ruling and ordered the judge to adopt the proceedings held before Honyenuga, JSC and continue from where the latter left. Before Anokye Gyimah, J could do as he had been ordered by the Court of Appeal, he was given a meteoric transfer to Kumasi. In the meantime, the accused persons appealed against the Court of Appeal’s decision to the Supreme Court. It is reported that the appeal was previously placed before a duly constituted 5-member panel.[2] The appellant and respondent appeared before the panel in January, 2024. They were ordered to file their respective statements of case, which they did. Their appearance in court this week – 8th May, 2024 – was for the panel to give judgment. To the utter shock of the accused/appellant and others present, when the case was called, a differently-constituted panel of 5 – now chaired by the Chief Justice – came to sit. Later events show that the prosecutor/respondent, the Attorney-General, did not share the appellant’s shock. The appellant immediately raised a legal objection to the changed composition of the panel, citing article 157 (3) of the Constitution, 1992.[4] The said article states that when a judge of a Superior Court (that is, Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court) is handling a case and the parties have made their legal arguments but judgment has not yet been given, the judge cannot withdraw from the case. The Chief Justice overruled the appellant’s objection, stating that the case was not ready for hearing when the Mariama Owusu, JSC panel instructed the parties to file their statements of case. According to reports, the Chief Justice indicated that the proceedings so far held in the appeal did not constitute a ‘hearing’ and as such, she was right in changing the panel since there had been no hearing and no judgment given in the appeal. As soon as the happenings in court came into the public domain, reactions were swift and mostly negative, Chief Justice-wise. Whether by design or by fatigue, the perennial protectors of judicial officers and the Judiciary – Ghana Bar Association – has gone into hiding. His Lordship, Mr. Justice Kulendi who, in normal times, would have stepped up to the plate to entreat citizens to mind their language is himself caught in the eye of the storm. He is part of the ‘triple K’ squad who have been jettisoned from the case. Naturally, the appetite for PR duties will be lost on any one under such circumstances. Considering the reported “Always let me land” exchanges that occurred recently in the LGBTQI trial in the Supreme Court, one wonders whether Sory @ Law will lend itself to a retainer In re: Judiciary Public Relations Affairs. So, with Ghana Bar Association and Company effectively withdrawing their ‘mouth-piece’ services, the lot fell on the indefatigable Attorney-General – the prosecutor/respondent in the pending appeal – to issue a press release[5] in defence of the Chief Justice (President of the panel). What the Attorney-General wanted all ye men present to know was that, the Chief Justice is, by law, a member of every court in Ghana. The Chief Justice is also, by law, the person who empanels courts and changes panels. Therefore, by simple logical deduction, the Chief Justice can replace any judge sitting in any court in Ghana at any time during proceedings in any court on any subject matter and involving any parties and without notice to the party who initiated the proceedings and finally, install herself as the judge. Oblige me, but this public relations role played by the Attorney-General – apart from the fact that the reasoning in his statement is misconceived in law – is symptomatic of what Mr. Justice Gabriel Pwamang aptly described in a recent case as “symbiotic posturing.”[6] At any rate, is the Attorney-General’s own position as an interested party

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Setback for Ghana’s justice delivery as jurors declare strike over allowance

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Jurors nationwide have announced an indefinite strike, effective immediately, citing the non-payment of their allowances as the primary reason for their action. In a unified statement released by the jurors, they underscored the financial strain caused by the absence of these payments. “This situation has made it practically impossible for us to continue to pre-finance our transportation to and from the court premises,” excerpts from the statement read. The jurors, expressing their commitment to the justice system, lamented that the lack of financial support has left them with no alternative but to cease their duties. Despite assurances of payment in May, subsequent follow-ups revealed a grim reality – there are currently no funds available to settle their allowances. The backlog of ten months’ worth of allowances has significantly impacted their personal finances, compelling them to take this drastic step. “We regret any inconvenience our absence may have on the expeditious delivery of justice,” the jurors added, acknowledging the potential repercussions on court proceedings. With their absence expected to cause delays and disruptions, concerns loom over the timely delivery of justice. The strike announcement has sent ripples across the legal landscape, particularly affecting indictable court cases where jurors play a pivotal role in the adjudication process. Notable cases, including the Joseph Boakye Danquah murder trial, Gregory Afoko trial, and the Kasoa teenage killers murder trial, among others, are poised to be heavily impacted as jurors will not be present for the hearings. Legal experts fear that the absence of jurors could lead to significant delays in ongoing cases, prolonging the wait for justice for victims and their families. The strike reflects broader systemic issues within the judicial system, raising questions about the government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of essential stakeholders in the administration of justice. Stakeholders are calling for swift action to resolve the impasse and ensure the resumption of normal court proceedings. However, until a resolution is reached, the wheels of justice risk grinding to a halt, leaving litigants, lawyers, and the public in limbo.

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