Ayine pushes duty-lawyer scheme to protect suspects at police stations

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic A. Ayine, has called for lawyers to be made available at police stations and courts to protect suspects’ rights and improve access to legal representation during criminal proceedings.

He said suspects were particularly vulnerable during police investigations and their first court appearances, when decisions could have serious consequences for their liberty.

Speaking through a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the Legal Aid Commission’s 2026 Legal Aid Week in Accra on Tuesday, October 13, Dr Ayine advocated a duty-lawyer scheme to give practical effect to Article 14(2) of the 1992 Constitution. The event was held under the theme, “Justice at Your Doorstep.”

Dr Ayine also urged the Commission to review cases involving people in custody regularly to prevent prolonged detention without legal assistance. He called for legal aid services to be expanded beyond regional capitals through district offices and mobile clinics operating at markets, community centres and traditional council halls.

“The Commission’s presence must be felt beyond regional capitals,” he said.

To widen access further, the Attorney General said he intended to engage the Ghana Bar Association to encourage more lawyers to take up pro bono cases.

He also urged law faculties and the Ghana School of Law to establish supervised legal clinics and train paralegals and community volunteers to provide basic legal guidance in rural communities.

He stressed that poverty should not prevent people from exercising their rights or receiving fair treatment, remarking that “a right that cannot be reached is a right denied.”

Dr Ayine further proposed strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to help settle family, land, tenancy and debt disputes without the costs and delays of full trials.

He also called for a toll-free legal aid line, SMS and WhatsApp intake channels, legal information in local languages and a shared case-management system linking the Legal Aid Commission, the courts and the Attorney General’s Office.

He urged the Commission to secure predictable funding and publish annual performance reports detailing services delivered across districts and the time taken to resolve cases.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.