MP Darko pushes AI over new tribunals to fix Ghana's clogged courts

Ghana's justice system needs a technological overhaul rather than an expansion of tribunal structures, according to Suame Member of Parliament John Darko. His intervention comes as Parliament has just passed the Tribunals Bill, which the government says will accelerate case handling and expand access to justice—but which Darko argues misses the real issue hampering the courts.

The MP contends that Ghana's chronic court delays stem not from insufficient judicial institutions but from outdated processes and inefficient systems. Instead of building new tribunals, he advocates for deploying artificial intelligence, digital case management, and online hearing capabilities to modernise the existing court infrastructure and accelerate case resolution.

The case for technological reform

Darko points to earlier judicial modernisation efforts as proof that technology works. Under former President John Agyekum Kufuor's administration, the High Court system underwent automation, shifting from manual, paper-based processes to digitised workflows without requiring the creation of new courts. "Kufuor didn't establish any court," Darko explained. "There was a High Court, but they were using pen and paper. What he did was automate the court."

He argues Ghana should build on that foundation. Virtual court hearings—introduced and piloted during legal vacations using platforms like Zoom—have already demonstrated that remote trials accelerate case movement and improve accessibility for litigants who cannot travel to physical courtrooms. Online trials, he noted, are already "moving cases faster" than traditional in-person proceedings.

Darko's proposed reforms include comprehensive digital case management systems, expanded online hearing infrastructure, and integration of AI tools to streamline administrative processes, reduce human error, and predict court scheduling bottlenecks. Such measures, he suggests, would address congestion far more cost-effectively than constructing new judicial institutions.

Why it matters for Ghana's justice system

The government's Tribunals Bill reflects a longstanding debate about how best to unclog Ghana's notoriously sluggish courts, where cases routinely languish for years. The bill aims to create specialist tribunals to handle specific offences—including illegal mining—and reduce pressure on mainstream courts. However, Darko's critique highlights a deeper problem: inefficiency in case processing itself.

Ghana's justice system struggles with limited resources, insufficient judges, and archaic procedures. Simply creating more courts risks spreading those existing problems across a wider network without solving root causes. Technology-driven reform, by contrast, could multiply court capacity without proportional increases in staff or budgets. Digital systems can automate document filing, scheduling, and case tracking; AI can assist with legal research and case categorisation; and virtual hearings eliminate geographical barriers.

For ordinary Ghanaians—especially those in remote areas—AI-enabled courts and online hearings represent genuine access improvements. For the judiciary and legal professionals, modernisation reduces paperwork and administrative burden, freeing judges to focus on substantive deliberation rather than procedural management.

The broader challenge ahead

While Darko's technology-focused argument is compelling, implementing such reforms demands significant upfront investment in infrastructure, training, and cybersecurity. The Tribunals Bill, whatever its limitations, may still play a complementary role in managing specific, high-volume case categories that overwhelm mainstream courts.

The real question for policymakers is whether Ghana can do both simultaneously: invest in meaningful technological modernisation of existing courts while selectively using specialist tribunals for clearly-defined cases. Rather than viewing Darko's proposal and the government's tribunals approach as mutually exclusive, Ghana may need a combined strategy—technology first, targeted tribunals second—to genuinely transform its justice system.